The government is mulling the idea of utilising satellite technologies for taking broadband services into rural and remote areas. It has announced constitution of a committee chaired by IT advisor J. Satyanarayana to work out the modalities in this direction. The committee will consist representatives from ISRO/NRSC, Intersat, Gilat Satellite Networks, Airtel and Hughes Communications India besides Planning department special chief secretary and IT department secretary as members while the IT department director would be its member convenor.
According to the orders issued on Wednesday, the Government had recognised the role played by VSAT technologies to meet connectivity needs of villages. Accordingly, it was decided to explore the satellite technologies for providing upto 2 mbps connectivity to remote villages that could not be connected through fibre in the near future due to terrain constraints. Such villages, Mr. Sasidhar said, could constitute about 15 per cent of the revenue villages in the State.
The panel would study the options for creating satellite infrastructure for distance education besides satellite based communication systems for disaster management in cases when terrestrial communication links break down. The Committee had been asked to examine the issues, make specific recommendations to prepare a roadmap within four weeks.
