Space tech, telecom to push digital services to remote areas: Vaishnaw

The combination of space technology and telecom will propel the reach of digital services to remote locations across the country and help in inclusive development, Ashwini Vaishnaw said

The combination of space technology and telecom will propel the reach of digital services to remote locations across the country and help in inclusive development, Minister for Communications and IT Ashwini Vaishnaw said on Monday.

Asserting that the government is fully committed to reforms and ensuring healthy competition in the sector, the Minister exhorted the industry to study the global best practices and come up with suggestions to contribute in formulation of enabling policy.

"It is very obvious that space and telecom combined can help us reach areas which are conventionally not reachable... like forested areas, the tribal areas which are in very remote places... in North Eastern parts of our country, the Himalayan sections, the desert areas... Many of these sections where conventional methods could not take digital services, I hope with space technologies we will be able to reach those areas," he said.

The combined might of space technologies and telecom would also contribute "in a big way" towards inclusive development, the Minister said speaking at an event to mark the launch of the Indian Space Association.

Space and telecom are organically connected sectors, especially with regard to managing spectrum, he said. Terming it a "complex subject", the Minister urged the industry leaders to study best global practices on the subject and come up with benchmarks that India can adopt.

"We are an open-minded government. We want to reform this sector and provide level-playing-field to everybody. We want that there should be healthy competition in this sector. So please come up with recommendations which will help us formulate policy in that direction," Vaishnaw added.