Vodafone Idea Limited (VIL), the third-largest telecom operator in India, is keen on bringing satellite services to India. The company had partnered with AST SpaceMobile to do this. The partnership will entail covering the dark regions of the country with satellite services so that high-speed connectivity can reach everywhere.
According to an ET report, Abhijit Kishore, Vi's Chief Executive Officer, on Wednesday said, "We are excited to bring the Vi-AST partnership to India and believe it will mark the beginning of transformative impact in bridging the connectivity to the unconnected parts of India."
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"It will open up a world of new possibilities, greater inclusivity and unlock opportunities for millions of Indians," he added.
Much recently, the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO), under the LVM3 M6 mission, deployed the AST SpaceMobile's BlueBird Block-2 satellite in the LEO (low earth orbit). This is a part of the commercial deal between the telco and the US satellite broadband company. Vi will utilise the technology from AST SpaceMobile and leverage its distribution in the country to offer combined services and win market share.
It is worth noting that even Bharti Airtel and Reliance Jio will be competing with Vi in the satellite communications (satcom) space with their respective entities. The launch of BlueBird 6 is an important milestone for India, and also for AST SpaceMobile. Vodafone Idea could potentially benefit from the arrival of satcom in India and find new monetisation avenues.
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AST SpaceMobile has partnered with 50 other telecom operators globally, including some of the major names such as Verizon, Vodafone, AT&T, Rakuten, Google, American Tower, STC Group, and Bell. These partnerships are allowing AST SpaceMobile to make money through its technology, and not worry about selling its services to retail customers.
