Nelco, Telesat collaborate to bring LEO satellite network to India

Tata group company Nelco has entered into a pact with global satellite operator Telesat to bring LEO satellite network to India, according to a statement.

Nelco and Telesat will collaborate on terrestrial facilities, commercial distribution and regulatory frameworks to offer Telesat LEO satellite connectivity in India, the statement said.

Telesat LEO, a next-generation satellite constellation, will help bridge the digital divide in remote and challenging locations, accelerate 5G expansion, and enable new levels of performance for enterprise, telecom, mobility and government broadband connectivity on land, air and sea.

"The Telesat LEO constellation will provide complete coverage of India and superior enterprise connectivity in the country, subject to necessary regulatory clearances," it said.

The availability of Telesat LEO network in India has the potential to provide a slew of benefits in areas entailing 4G/5G backhaul, mobile hotspots, distance education, telemedicine, village connectivity, in addition to maritime and in-flight connectivity.

Commenting on the development, satellite communication service provider Nelco CEO P J Nath said, "considering the huge potential for Satcom services growth in the country in the coming years, we are continuously exploring the latest satellite technologies to bring better value to our customers and expand the market".

"We believe that our partnership with Telesat will help in bringing LEO satellites into the country, which has the potential to revolutionise connectivity in the future," he added.

Telesat's Senior Vice President, Corporate and Business Development, Michael Schwartz said that LEO's secure, high throughput, low-latency network will bring strong performance and flexibility for enterprise applications and extend the reach of terrestrial networks throughout the country.

Globally, the satellite communications industry has been growing leaps and bounds owing to advancements in technology, light touch regulations and an increase in internet traffic demands.

"LEO satellites are poised to revolutionise the industry, and with the prospective opening of the space sector in India, Nelco, through its strategic relationship with Telesat, plans to serve new market segments and requirements for high-bandwidth, low latency applications with Telesat LEO connectivity," the statement added.