Teledesic Corporation, promoted by Microsoft chief Bill Gates and Craig MaCaw, is scouting for partners in India to distribute broadband high-speed datalink services in the country.
The company plans to invest nearly $9 billion to launch 840 low earth orbit satellites to build an "Internet in the sky" by 2002.
The satellite network will provide global access to a range of voice, data and video communication capabilities, backed by two-way broadband network connections through service partners in host countries worldwide.
The cost of launching each satellite will be around $ 5.5 million.
In each host country, the end-users will be served by one or more local service providers, Terminals at the gateway and the user sites communicate directly with Teledesic's satellite-based network and through gateway switches, to terminal on other networks.
"Through its global partnerships, the network will provide digital connections between users of the network, and via gateways to users of other networks," David Montanaro vice president strategic relations Teledesic Corp told Business Standard.
The Teledesic network will extend the terrestrial, fibre-based infrastructure to provide advanced information services anywhere on the earth.
It is the first proposed satellite communications network that will enable affordable, worldwide access to "fibre-like" telecommunications services, video conferencing and interactive multimedia.
The network, Teledesic claims, will cover 95 per cent of the earth's surface area round-the-clock.
