The trial was carried out in partnership with Indian telecom provider BSNL and is the first of its kind in India.
Viasat demonstrated its direct-to-device satellite connectivity in India at the Indian Mobile Congress. Viasat partnered with Indian telecommunications provider BSNL for the demonstration.
During the trial, Viasat demonstrated two-way messaging and SoS messaging using a commercial Android smartphone enabled for non-terrestrial network (NTN) connectivity. The messages were sent via one of Viasats Geostationary L-band satellites.
Following the demonstration, a news release by BSNL Chairman and Managing Director Robert J Ravi said this is the first demonstration of its kind in India. It showcases the potential to enhance direct communications for critical services, disaster recovery, and even rural connectivity across India using the BSNL network and Viasats L-band satellite constellation.
Viasat is currently working with its partners including BSNL in India to bring satellite services to consumer and IoT devices, including through the Mobile Satellite Services Association (MSSA). Viasat’s CTO Sandeep Moorthy said: D2D could help reduce barriers to accessing satellite connectivity particularly in India where millions do not have access to reliable terrestrial connectivity. In the future, D2D could help transform the Indian production and supply chain to become more efficient, more sustainable and safer, and support automotive applications to enhance safety and conditions-based maintenance.
