The placement of 36 OneWeb satellites in orbit on Sunday once again proved the reliability of the Indian Space Research Organization’s (ISRO) LVM-3 as a satellite launch vehicle. India is proud of the leading role played by our space agency in the global quest for full connectivity. That Isro can do this at a lower cost than competing space agencies is a sign of its commercial leadership in a rare sector. We must thank the determination and ingenuity of our scientists, who have faced steep odds and overcome tremendous constraints to gain this advantage. Since Isro’s mission is to “use, sustain and expand space technology for national development, while conducting space science research and planetary exploration,” we must also look beyond its revenue potential satellites to provide high-speed internet services around the world . While French Eutelsat, Japanese Softbank and the UK government are among the shareholders, the Bharti Group is the largest with 30%. With Airtel as ground partner, OneWeb is expected to fill gaps in domestic coverage.
The placement of 36 OneWeb satellites in orbit on Sunday once again proved the reliability of the Indian Space Research Organization’s (ISRO) LVM-3 as a satellite launch vehicle. India is proud of the leading role played by our space agency in the global quest for full connectivity. That Isro can do this at a lower cost than competing space agencies is a sign of its commercial leadership in a rare sector. We must thank the determination and ingenuity of our scientists, who have faced steep odds and overcome tremendous constraints to gain this advantage. Since Isro’s mission is to “use, sustain and expand space technology for national development, while conducting space science research and planetary exploration,” we must also look beyond its revenue potential satellites to provide high-speed internet services around the world . While French Eutelsat, Japanese Softbank and the UK government are among the shareholders, the Bharti Group is the largest with 30%. With Airtel as ground partner, OneWeb is expected to fill gaps in domestic coverage.
According to Bharti boss Sunil Bharti Mittal, OneWeb plans to launch services in India in July or August. This is significant as it could extend internet to parts of the country that either remain unaccessed or suffer from poor connectivity. While fiber optic cables have wired high-demand zones and download speeds have skyrocketed over the past decade, the Internet will only deliver on its “worldwide” promise if no more patches are uncovered. India needs to get its farthest residents onto the information superhighway so that the benefits of our rapidly expanding digital economy reach every citizen. The Center’s Digital India program provides for this. With a constellation of satellites poised to act as space infrastructure, the government is expected to establish a spectrum policy for providing terrestrial links. Whether ether would be auctioned off or allocated is still unclear. There are some other global players in this field, such as E.g. Elon Musk’s Starlink, but the existence of the competition in itself does not justify a bidding process. If government revenue is to be maximized, the cost of service could skyrocket and become a privilege rather than a provision. On the other hand, a cheap allocation of spectrum could be challenged as it would look like an arbitrary gift to a private entity. In any case, New Delhi should proceed with the greatest possible transparency in its political elections and not allow delays to be caused by indecisiveness. With technology enablers poised and ready, it would be unfortunate if other factors stopped us from pushing the boundaries of the internet.
According to Bharti boss Sunil Bharti Mittal, OneWeb plans to launch services in India in July or August. This is significant as it could extend internet to parts of the country that either remain unaccessed or suffer from poor connectivity. While fiber optic cables have wired high-demand zones and download speeds have skyrocketed over the past decade, the Internet will only deliver on its “worldwide” promise if no more patches are uncovered. India needs to get its farthest residents onto the information superhighway so that the benefits of our rapidly expanding digital economy reach every citizen. The Center’s Digital India program provides for this. With a constellation of satellites poised to act as space infrastructure, the government is expected to establish a spectrum policy for providing terrestrial links. Whether ether would be auctioned off or allocated is still unclear. There are some other global players in this field, such as E.g. Elon Musk’s Starlink, but the existence of the competition in itself does not justify a bidding process. If government revenue is to be maximized, the cost of service could skyrocket and become a privilege rather than a provision. On the other hand, a cheap allocation of spectrum could be challenged as it would look like an arbitrary gift to a private entity. In any case, New Delhi should proceed with the greatest possible transparency in its political elections and not allow delays to be caused by indecisiveness. With technology enablers poised and ready, it would be unfortunate if other factors stopped us from pushing the boundaries of the internet.
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Ironically, despite the fact that our space agency is attracting worldwide attention for its role in giving the internet a space-age boost, India has gotten a bad rap for the frequency with which people are blocked from going online. According to a report by advocacy group Access Now, we had more internet shutdowns than any other country last year, marking half a decade of this dubious distinction. In order for our digital dreams to come true, however, we must deliver on the promise of full access security, both in terms of space and time. This would mean there would be no terminations unless there is a major national emergency that requires it. We need an always-on protocol for internet services in the country. It is a vital resource and we must treat it as such.
