How about VSAT for rural connectivity?

By Srinivas Moorthy

BharatNet, earlier known as National Optical Fiber Network (NOFN), the ambitious program of Government of India started its journey in 2011 and had envisaged to provide 100 mbps of data speed over fiber optic connectivity to 250,000 Gram Panchayats (GPs) in a span of two years digitally enabling rural India. However, the project faced several challenges at implementation and has been moving at snails pace missing several targeted time lines. Here is a view into the situation.

Until March 2016, only 43,000 GPs are covered despite government putting all its weight behind the project. Realizing the hardship in implementation, DOT had constituted an expert committee to come with the recommendations to fast track the project. One of the key suggestions of the review committee report released on March 31, 2015 is to adopt alternate technologies wherever laying fiber optic is a challenge. Further, the committee recommended renaming the project as BharatNet, and proposed a revised budget estimate to 72,000 crore which was a three-fold increase of initially budgeted cost estimate.

While the revised budget estimate is still awaiting approval, TRAI issued a consultation paper on “Implementation model for BharatNet” inviting public opinion on this subject. Followed by its recommendation released on February 2016 TRAI recommended PPP model as most suited model for the faster implementation of BharatNet.

Hardly any day passes without hearing the buzz of ‘Digital India’ activities. Government machinery and political class don’t miss any opportunity to highlight the actions in Digital India context. In 2012, a large state having poor rural connectivity had announced launch of 52 Government services online. What is the purpose of launching online services which cannot reach citizens and just remains in Government servers?

Several government meetings and public events to amplify the benefits of BharatNet and many in-house meetings to figure out how to make it happen! Lot of time, money and energy is being spent by the Government agencies to bring synergy among all the stakeholders to speed up the implementation. However, not much discussion on addressing the fundamental need of connectivity, and thought about alternate approach happens. Our system is so fascinated with the idea fiber optic to Gram Panchayat, the prime objective of “Providing connectivity” is replaced with “Fiber optic laying” and the government machinery is all out to ensure laying of fiber across the country side at whatever the cost and however long it may take to accomplish.

No one can deny the benefits of information highway to every Gram Panchayat. This could be one of the biggest enabler to our country in long term perspective. It is fair to believe that a large diverse population gets access to broadband, many new dimensions of usage patterns would evolve dynamically resulting to new avenues and possibilities for the whole India in e-commerce, e-governance, skill developments, jobs and financial inclusion and many more unexplored avenues.

However, it is time for reality check, at the present speed of rollout, reaching fiber to all GPs is going to take many more years to accomplish and the village level connectivity is not even on radar.

Bottom line is Rural India needs broadband connectivity to get access to internet and Government services, Period. Present situation of connectivity in rural India is like a starving person. And instead of responding with immediate relief basic food supplies, our system is promising a rich feast in the future day with 100 Mbps over fiber!

Need of the hour is to look at alternate means to connect rural India in a visible time horizon. Instead of aligning all the resources and energy to the fiber optic laying, why not consider satellite communication technology? A fairly simple, and well established technology – a method by which every nook and corner of the nation can be connected within a reasonable period at a slice of fiber laying cost. With V-SAT connectivity can reach right up to the village level and it is noteworthy that the BharatNet is planned to connect only up to Gram Panchayats.

This could be the disruptive approach which can bring a revolution of sort similar to Dish TV. It can provide connectivity to all 6 lakh villages. It is more important to create village Wi-Fi zones than create wi-fi zones at popular spots of urban India where all options already exist.

Although the connection speeds are not comparable with the fiber technology, V-SAT offers good enough speed to serve beyond the functional requirement of any G2G, G2C and internet service for rural India. In addition, VSAT brings numerous other advantages like high reliability, economy and reach. Further VSAT serves the need till better technologies arrive to the spot. This approach would enable the country meet its immediate needs and long term objectives.

In many forums, the Idea of satellite connectivity to rural India keeps emerging. However, lack of understanding and support from regulatory and Government governed technology eco-system suppresses such ideas with convenient school of thoughts.

One may think that there must be a strong reason for the Government to not to consider satellite communication for rural connectivity apart from the speed aspect, like lack of satellite capacity and cost etc. Presently, there are about 190 transponders with a capacity of 36 MHz each including all major international satellite operators have a footprint over India, however our age old satcom policy needs rejig to allow operators and agencies to leverage this available capacity. On cost front VSAT connectivity works out to be economical choice because the bandwidth is shared over a large size geographically spread users resulting optimum utilization which is unique to satellite communication.

Other enablers required from the Government is adoption of High Throughput Satellites (HTS), Ease of procedure to gain capacity access from non ISRO satellite players and reduced regulatory norms on VSAT deployment etc. It is interesting to note that even TRAI in its consultancy paper has mention of lack of “Open Sky policy” as a hurdle for adopting satellite technology for rural connectivity. Isn’t it reasonable to expect TRAI, as an authority, to bat for cause of liberal satcom policy to enable Digital India?

The point is Rural India has to be covered under the Digital India movement at the visible time horizon. Connectivity should be the crucial aspect not the medium of delivery.

(The author, Srinivas Moorthy is a senior professional from telecom Industry. The views expressed in the column are personal)