News Highlight
The Prime Minister described the simultaneous placement of 36 One Web satellites into orbit a week ago as a major feat, saying the move would strengthen digital connectivity across the country.
Key Takeaway
- In Mann Ki Baat’s address, the PM said, “With the help of this, even the remotest areas will be more easily connected with the rest of the country.”
One Web
- What?
- It is a global communications company that aims to deliver broadband satellite Internet around the world through its fleet of LEO satellites.
- The company has announced plans to enter the Indian market by 2022.
- LEO satellites
- They are positioned around 500km-2000km from earth, compared to stationary orbit satellites which are approximately 36,000km away.
What is satellite broadband connectivity?
- Satellite Internet access refers to Internet access provided through satellites. In other words, it is a telecommunications network provided by orbital communication stations.
Developments in the satellite communication space
- Low Earth Orbit Constellations (LEO):
- A low Earth orbit (LEO) is an orbit that is relatively close to Earth’s surface. It is normally at an altitude of less than 1000 km but could be as low as 160 km above Earth – which is low compared to other orbits.
- The Low Earth Orbit Constellations (LEO) promises to provide truly global coverage and lower latency service.
- High Throughput Satellite Service (HTS):
- HTS is a communication satellite that provides more throughput than conventional communication satellites or Fixed Satellite services.
- Higher Throughput refers to higher data processing and transfer capacity than conventional satellites while using the same amount of orbital spectrum.
Initiatives of satellite-based internet connectivity
- One web:
- The OneWeb satellite constellation is a planned initial 648-satellite internet constellation.
- Starlink:
- It is a satellite internet constellation operated by SpaceX, providing satellite Internet access to 40 countries.
Significance of satellite-based internet connectivity
- Vast coverage:
- Signals from one geostationary satellite can cover roughly a third of the planet, and three to four satellites would be enough to cover the entire earth.
- Reduce latency:
- In telecommunications, low latency is associated with a positive user experience (UX), while high latency is related to a poor positive user experience.
- A satellite at a lower height from the Earth’s surface will help to bring the lag down to 20-30 milliseconds.
- Accessibility:
- Fibre-optic cables are not feasible in remote areas or places with difficult terrain, as setting up lines or towers in these areas is not viable.
- Disaster resilient:
- It will also provide cellular connectivity to end-users even during natural disasters such as earthquakes when 5G infrastructure might be damaged.
- Faster service delivery:
- It has the potential to transform the way essential services like banking, education and healthcare are delivered to citizens of the country.
- Better governance:
- Revolutionary apps such as Aadhar Payment App and Unified Payment Interface (UPI) can be used in every nook and corner of the country.
- With the Bharatnet project, India aims to better facilitate e-governance applications like telemedicine, access to land records, treasury, police stations, Internet access, and many other services in rural India.
- In-flight and Maritime Communications (IFMC):
- In 2018, the Government of India announced the licenses for In-flight and Maritime Communications (IFMC) that allow voice and internet services while flying over the Indian skies and sailing in Indian waters, both for international and Indian aircraft and vessels.
Challenges
- Minor obstructions affect the signal:
- Users might not be able to connect to a satellite at all if they are located under heavy foliage or surrounded by other obstructions.
- Regulation issues:
- Questions related to who regulates the tech companies, given the large number of nations that contribute to individual projects, complicate the regulatory framework.
- Higher investment:
- Individual satellites can only make direct contact with a land transmitter for a short time, thus requiring massive LEO satellite fleets and, consequently, a significant capital investment.
- Space junks:
- They have the potential to damage spacecraft or collide with other satellites.
- Satellite Internet latency:
- Satellite data transfer provides very slow internet speeds and limited satellite bandwidth because of the distances the signals have to travel and all the potential obstacles in between.
- Weather changes:
- Unlike terrestrial communications, minor weather changes can have a massive impact on the speed and latency of satellite data.
Way forward
- Launching a few High Throughput satellites:
- HTS are sufficient to cover a country as vast as India and provide high-bandwidth, high-speed, reliable internet.
- Boost to start-ups:
- Astrome, a start-up incubated at the Indian Institute of Science (IISc), Bangalore, launched 17 HTS acting as “floating routers”, providing a bandwidth of 50 Mbps to home users and 400 Mbps to business users.
- Draft policies:
- The government has to speed up the pending release of the new Spacecom policy by the Department of Space, which brings a layer of uncertainty over the launch of commercial services in India.
Content Source: The Hindu