Thanks to technological developments, satcom companies can now provide data services straight to consumers' smartphones, eschewing traditional cellular operators in the process.
Players like Elon Musk-backed Starlink are about to offer satellite-based broadband services in India, which might mean the end of call dropouts and frequent throbbers caused by weak mobile signals.High-end phones, such as iPhones, now provide emergency messages for satcom communication. Experts predict that in the upcoming years, standard cellphones will catch up to satellite-communication (satcom) technology, with pricing that may be even lower or on par with traditional services.
According to T V Ramachandran, President of the Broadband India Forum (BIF), the availability of satcom on a handset just depends on demand volume.
"The demand [for satcom services] will not be ignored by manufacturers." The pricing will have to be lowered. A decent 4G phone can now be purchased for about ₹4,000, while 5G phones are becoming more widely accessible. People assumed that only the wealthy would have access to it. This depends on market growth and volume," he stated.
Satcom will be accessible on reasonably priced phones, according to Pranav Roach, President of Hughes Network Systems India Limited, a division of Hughes Broadband Satellite Service Provider. Since these are huge worldwide systems, their cost must be reasonable. "The capability will be included in the handsets," he stated. OneWeb, a British satellite services company launching broadband, has Hughes as one of its backers.
Up till now, India has mostly used Geostationary Earth Orbit satellites for direct-to-home broadcasts and pictures. However, because these devices are in an orbit 36,000 kilometers from Earth, they have certain restrictions when it comes to two-way communications. For mission-critical data services that require real-time data access, this latency may become an issue. However, companies like Jeff Bezos's Project Kuiper and Elon Musk's Starlink are currently putting satellites in Low Earth Orbit, which operate at significantly lower orbital distances, between 160 to 2,000 km, making them suitable for high-capacity broadband.
To date, satcom services have been used as backhaul infrastructure for telecom carriers and to provide fixed broadband services globally. Satellite operators have partnered with more than 90 telecom carriers, which together account for almost 5 billion connections worldwide. But thanks to technological developments, satcom providers can now seamlessly deliver internet connectivity straight to customers' cellphones, doing away with the need for conventional cell towers.
It is true that Starlink is installing an eNodeB modem on their satellite. This modem functions similarly to a mobile tower in space and works with users' current smartphones, eliminating the need for additional gear or software.
To date, satcom services have been used as backhaul infrastructure for telecom carriers and to provide fixed broadband services globally. Satellite operators have partnered with more than 90 telecom carriers, which together account for almost 5 billion connections worldwide. But thanks to technological developments, satcom providers can now seamlessly deliver internet connectivity straight to customers' cellphones, doing away with the need for conventional cell towers.
It is true that Starlink is installing an eNodeB modem on their satellite. This modem functions similarly to a mobile tower in space and works with users' current smartphones, eliminating the need for additional gear or software.
Qualcomm, an American chipmaker, is creating chipsets that will allow smartphones to get internet signals from satellites. "We are looking at this being made available to a range of handset devices, not limited to high-end only," stated Manmeet Singh, Senior Director at Qualcomm India Pvt. Ltd. The solution may be utilized for tracking and logistics and will be accessible for IOT devices as well," Singh stated.
Roach said it was too soon to say whether satcom charges might be on level with terrestrial prices on a per MB basis, despite the trust in accessibility. He mentioned factors that will affect this part of the service, such as the spectrum's auction price. At the moment, more conventional providers like T-Mobile Home Internet charge $60 per month for a speed of 72–245 Mbps, while Starlink charges $90 to $120 per month for a speed of 20–250 Mbps.
While satcom will compete with terrestrial services, Ramachandran stated that it will not soon outperform them in terms of price. Due to severe financial hardship on the mobile providers, the telecom sector has become a duopoly. A satellite network investment, on the other hand, is a one-time event that requires very little ongoing funding. "Satcom will not be as expensive as terrestrial. As with terrestrial mobile services, the cost will be associated with satellite launch, but there won't be any expenses for establishing a ground network," Ramachandran stated.
In addition to Jeff Bezos' Project Kuiper and Elon Musk's Starlink, at least six other companies are attempting to break into the Indian satellite communication (satcom) industry. These include Rivada Networks, based in Munich; Viasat, based in California; Sateliot, based in Barcelona; Telesat, based in Ottawa; and Globalsat, situated in Delaware. The incumbent telecom companies, Reliance Jio and Airtel, now have to worry about preserving their market share, even though this gives broadband users additional options.
Roach said it was too soon to say whether satcom charges might be on level with terrestrial prices on a per MB basis, despite the trust in accessibility. He mentioned factors that will affect this part of the service, such as the spectrum's auction price. At the moment, more conventional providers like T-Mobile Home Internet charge $60 per month for a speed of 72–245 Mbps, while Starlink charges $90 to $120 per month for a speed of 20–250 Mbps.
While satcom will compete with terrestrial services, Ramachandran stated that it will not soon outperform them in terms of price. Due to severe financial hardship on the mobile providers, the telecom sector has become a duopoly. A satellite network investment, on the other hand, is a one-time event that requires very little ongoing funding. "Satcom will not be as expensive as terrestrial. As with terrestrial mobile services, the cost will be associated with satellite launch, but there won't be any expenses for establishing a ground network," Ramachandran stated.
In addition to Jeff Bezos' Project Kuiper and Elon Musk's Starlink, at least six other companies are attempting to break into the Indian satellite communication (satcom) industry. These include Rivada Networks, based in Munich; Viasat, based in California; Sateliot, based in Barcelona; Telesat, based in Ottawa; and Globalsat, situated in Delaware. The incumbent telecom companies, Reliance Jio and Airtel, now have to worry about preserving their market share, even though this gives broadband users additional options.
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