Soon, India will get satellite-based telecom services with Bharat Sanchar Nigam Ltd signing a deal with London-based Inmarsat. BSNL
has already taken the required licence from the Department of Telecom
and identified Ghaziabad for locating the satellite gateway. The gateway
will be built at a cost of USD8 million.
Through
this deal, BSNL will be able to offer satellite-based broadband
services using Inmarsat technologies in remote areas of the country.
BSNL will also be able to meet the needs of the Defence forces.
Inmarsat
is a global satellite services provider and was earlier offering
services in India through Videsh Sanchar Nigam Ltd. But this service was
practically shut down after the Government divested majority stake in
VSNL to the Tatas. Since then the London-based firm has been scouting
for partners in India.
US-based
satellite services company Iridium had also written to the Telecom
Ministry seeking an opportunity to be part of a project being undertaken
by Bharat Sanchar Nigam Ltd to set up a satellite gateway in the
country. Iridium has said that it should be given a chance to bid for
the BSNL project.
- The Hindu Business Line