BSNL launches D2D satellite connectivity service in India
Bharat Sanchar Nigam Limited (BSNL), the government-run telecom service provider, on Wednesday launched a direct-to-device satellite connectivity service. India’s Department of Telecommunications (DoT) announced the launch, calling it “India’s first satellite-to-device service.” The Indian telecom developed this technology together with Viasat, a California-based communications technology company. It aims at providing seamless connectivity to users even in the remote and isolated corners of the country. BSNL first unveiled the service at the Indian Mobile Congress (IMC) 2024 and highlighted that it had started testing its capabilities.
BSNL launches Direct-to-Device service in India
In one after on X (formerly known as Twitter), the official name of DoT India announced the launch of the new service. Satellite connectivity is not a new technology, with Apple first announcing the capability with the iPhone 14 series smartphones. However, satellite communications is not available to regular users in India and has so far been reserved for emergency services, military and other allied services.
With Direct-to-Device, BSNL offers the service to all its users, giving them the option to stay connected despite the remoteness of the location. For example, the satellite connectivity service can help users trek to Chandratal Lake in Spiti Valley or if they live in a remote village in Rajasthan, stay in touch with their loved ones.
BSNL stated that the service will allow users to make emergency calls when the mobile network or Wi-Fi connection is unavailable. Users can also send SoS messages and make UPI payments in similar situations. However, the wording is important because the company has not indicated whether calls or text messages can also be sent during non-emergency situations.
Viasat, which partnered with the Indian telecom provider to develop this technology, highlighted in a press release last month that the service will enable two-way communications for non-terrestrial network connectivity (NTN). During a demonstration at IMC 2024, the tech giant was able to send and receive messages from a distance of 36,000 kilometers to one of its geostationary L-band satellites.
BSNL and Viasat started testing the service in October and within a month the service was launched for users. However, some uncertainty remains. The state-owned telecom service provider has not highlighted what users need to do to access satellite connectivity. It is also unclear whether users will get the feature bundled into their existing subscriptions or have to purchase separate subscriptions for it.
