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Satellite to link computers in rural India soon
Thursday, 13 December 2007, 17:44 IST
Bangalore: The Indian space agency will launch a dedicated satellite mid-2008 that will connect computers in villages across the country for accessing Internet and transferring data, a top official said here Tuesday.
"We are going to launch an experimental satellite (Gsat-4) in June next year that will facilitate data transfer from computers located in remote and inaccessible villages," G. Madhavan Nair, chairman of the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO), told reporters on the sidelines of a science event here.
"The on-board digital switch (in the satellite) will be able to select data from point (computer) and distribute to other points (computers), depending on the connectivity," he added.
The 2.2-tonne Gsat-4 spacecraft will be launched using the geostationary satellite launch vehicle (GSLV-FO3) from the space agency's Satish Dhawan Space Centre at Sriharikota in Andhra Pradesh, about 90 km from Chennai.
The project is estimated to cost about 
2.5 billion, including 1 billion to build the satellite.
"We are now using transponders for sending up signals and relaying them as it is. With Gsat-4, we will provide connection with large bandwidth for point-to-point connectivity," Nair pointed out.
Being an experimental set-up, the project will be launched on a pilot basis to provide satellite-based connectivity in a few hundred villages.
The programme will be later extended to cover about 100,000 villages, especially in remote and inaccessible areas of the country, which do not have any form of connectivity.
The ministry of communications and information technology, the department of science and technology, state governments and local organisations will be involved in the project to provide ground support.
"As the project is meant to benefit the masses, the state will be funding it initially. We are yet to work out the unit cost. Our role will be similar to what we are already doing to Doordarshan (state-owned TV channels) providing broadcasting link," Nair said at the international conference on e-science and grid computing.
ISRO's communication satellites (Insat) provide VSAT (very small aperture terminals) in cities and towns for business and government organisations using C-band transponders.
"Data transfer through satellites is common, as also high bandwidth, point-to-point connectivity and VSAT. Reaching out to villages and to make sure rural people benefit from advanced technology of computers, database and applications will be the objectives of this project," Nair said.
Source: IANS
2.5 billion, including 1 billion to build the satellite.
"We are now using transponders for sending up signals and relaying them as it is. With Gsat-4, we will provide connection with large bandwidth for point-to-point connectivity," Nair pointed out.
Being an experimental set-up, the project will be launched on a pilot basis to provide satellite-based connectivity in a few hundred villages.
The programme will be later extended to cover about 100,000 villages, especially in remote and inaccessible areas of the country, which do not have any form of connectivity.
The ministry of communications and information technology, the department of science and technology, state governments and local organisations will be involved in the project to provide ground support.
"As the project is meant to benefit the masses, the state will be funding it initially. We are yet to work out the unit cost. Our role will be similar to what we are already doing to Doordarshan (state-owned TV channels) providing broadcasting link," Nair said at the international conference on e-science and grid computing.
ISRO's communication satellites (Insat) provide VSAT (very small aperture terminals) in cities and towns for business and government organisations using C-band transponders.
"Data transfer through satellites is common, as also high bandwidth, point-to-point connectivity and VSAT. Reaching out to villages and to make sure rural people benefit from advanced technology of computers, database and applications will be the objectives of this project," Nair said.
Source: IANS