The Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) is making an effort to bring India under the high-speed internet umbrella with launch of three communication satellites in the next 18 months.
ISRO will launch three communication satellites namely, GSTA-19, GSAT-11 and GSTA-20, according to reports. The first, GSTA-19 will be launched by GSLVMk III, the space agency’s next-generation launch vehicle boosted by an indigenous cryogenic engine that is capable of carrying a four-tonne satellite to the geosynchronous transfer orbit, in June.
A GSAT satellite is capable of supporting one gigabyte of data transfer per second, which means the GSAT-19 will be able to transfer data at four gigabyte per second, making it equivalent to four satellites.
The other two satellites GSAT-11 and GSAT-20 will be launched in 2018.
ISRO scientist says the GSAT-11 is slated to be launched in January 2018 and will have data rate of 14GB per second, while the GSAT-20 is set to launch by the end of next year.
The Indian space agency is aiming to cover the entire country with a satellite that will offer a data rate of 70GB per second.
“The communication satellites, to be used for the purpose, will use multiple spot beams (a special kind of transponder that operates on a high frequency) that will increase internet speed and connectivity. These multiple spot beams will cover the entire country,” ISRO’s chairman Kiran Kumar told an English daily.
With the launch of these satellites, ISRO’s is expected to serve about 450-465 million of citizens with high-speed internet connection by June, according to Internet and Mobile Association of India.
