17 February 2021
Remote Indian islands are being connected
India’s state-owned telecom giant company BSNL will deploy solutions from ST Engineering iDirect to augment satellite bandwidth to the Indian islands of Andaman, Nicobar and Lakshadweep, it said
The deployment is part of a Universal Service Obligation (USO) project funded by the country’s Department of Telecommunications. Utilising the Newtec Dialog platform to provide internet and 2G, 3G and 4G services, the connectivity will boost social and economic activity to islands that previously had limited access to bandwidth.
“This project is critical as it meets the growing connectivity requirements of these important island states. It was integral to the project that we selected the right partner and technology in order to meet the stringent timelines as this will be closely monitored by the Ministry of Home Affairs and Department of Telecommunications,” said Sanjay Kumar, general manager (radio), BSNL. “The Dialog platform will allow us to dynamically allocate bandwidth as demand varies from island to island and offers flexibility as well as the capability to run many different types of applications, both fixed and mobile. We look forward to offering those living and working on the islands the connectivity that will enable them to grow and prosper despite their remote location.”
Under the USO-funded Project, BSNL will make it possible to deliver a broad range of applications to these Indian islands, from cellular backhaul and enterprise connectivity to maritime and remote community Wi-Fi, as well as the ability to connect with other parts of India.
