Satellite Internet Key for Rural India, Says DoT Official: Report

Satellite Internet Key for Rural India, Says DoT Official
India’s telecom and space sectors are witnessing growth driven by foreign direct investment (FDI), technological innovation, and policy reforms aimed at enhancing connectivity and manufacturing capabilities. This was underscored at the 2nd India Space Policy Conference held in the national capital, which brought together key stakeholders from government, industry, and academia.

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Surge in FDI and Technological Advancements

Deb Kumar Chakrabarti, Advisor at the Department of Telecommunications (DoT), highlighted that 100 per cent FDI is already permitted in India’s telecom sector, contributing not only capital but also advanced technologies and management expertise.

“Lots of FDI basically have come from the telecom sector. FDI is not just money. FDI is technology. There are new management styles, many things that come into a new country. So, that way I think every country benefits if it gets a big share of FDI,” he said on the sidelines of the conference, according to an ANI report.

DoT’s Tech-Agnostic Approach

Chakrabarti noted that the DoT maintains a technology-agnostic stance, welcoming all forms of innovation to broaden consumer choice. “It never talks up any particular technology to be brought in or not to be brought in. We are always welcoming technology. Because it gives a bigger choice to the consumers, which is ultimately it will be doing good only the common users of the telecom services so that way it’s always good to have more and more choices in the market,” he added.

On the growing demand for satellite internet, Chakrabarti pointed out its relevance in rural and remote areas where deploying traditional communication infrastructure like optical fibre is challenging.

“It (demand for satellite internet services) will be growing, because there is a good amount of areas, but mostly in the village, rural and very distant areas where extending normal modes of communication like optical fibre or the microwave, it is very difficult, so I think that (there) satellite services could be an ideal replacement in those areas, and the more these satellite services are getting customised for this type of requirements – I mean the size is reducing, the cost is reducing, no extra devices may be required in the future,” he supplemented, as mentioned in the report.