Inmarsat, Dot Pact On Satellite Telephony

The department of telecommunication (DoT) has tied up with Inmarsat, the London-based 79-nation satellite consortium offering value-added telephony services, for the latest satellite telephone system for remote area communication.

An MoU was signed yesterday between Inmarsat chief Warren Grace and DoT secretary V K Gokak to start a pilot project in India for Inmarsat-B hand held satellite phone system. The system consists of a briefcase-size ground segment.VSNL will provide its gateway and earth stations to enable Inmarsat execute the project. The objective of the pilot project is to study the possibility of using this technology for connecting remote sites of important infrastructural projects. These sites include power plants, mines, tea gardens, coffee and cashew plantations and tourist and religious spots among others. Initially, about 100 terminals will be set up on a trial purpose. Inmarsat has agreed to indigenise the technology if the pilot project proves to be successful.

 

A DoT statement said a similar Inmarsat project has already been tried in Rajdhani Express trains of the Indian Railways.

The cost per terminal works out to about $3,000.

An effort will be made to reduce the price substantially by the time the pilot project is over and DoT decides to implement it in full.