KU-BAND UPLINK BY ISPs OPENED UP
Internet Service Providers (ISPs)
will be allowed to uplink directly to foreign satellites
on both Ku-Band and C-Band, for the purpose of setting
up connections from their gateways to overseas Internet
backbones. The decision was conveyed by Union Communications
Minister Ram Vilas Paswan to private industry representatives
last week. International gateways set by private ISPs
will now be able to uplink directly to any satellite
of choice, without having to go through Videsh Sanchar
Nigam Ltd. (VSNL). Use of Ku-Band for Internet traffic
will enable signals to be received through easy-to-install
small satellite dishes around a metre wide.
Applications for such uplinks will
be cleared through a committee consisting of representatives
of the Department of Telecom (DoT), Department of
Space, Department of Telecom Services (DTS), Ministry
of Information Technology and the Wireless Planning
and Co-ordination Wing (WPC). The committee will look
into technical issues, including co-ordination with
other satellites, said Dr S Rangarajan, Director,
SatCom Programmes, DoS said.
The decision to allow free uplink
has been taken in view of the fact that Insat capacity
is not currently available for such applications,
which require uplinks to international backbones in
the US. In the case of Very Small Aperture Terminals
(VSATs) companies, they will continue to be used.
"Since these are domestic applications, VSAT services
are routed through the Insat system, which is intended
for the Indian market", pointed out Mr.Sanjeev Nikore,
Executive Vice President, HCL Comnet.
The VSAT service providers will,
however, be allowed to use the Ku-Band for their services
and around 50 per cent of the capacity on the INSAT
3B (scheduled for launch in February 2000) will be
earmarked for these services, Dr.Rangarajan said.
The DoT is also likely to permit the use of VSATs
to offer Internet services, according to information
conveyed to the industry by a senior DTS official.
At the meeting which was attended
by representatives of the industry associations, Chambers
of Commerce and heads of financial institutions such
as IDBI and financial institution ICICI, Paswan said
that he would consider an industry proposal for setting
up a dispute settlement board. The board, which would
consist of representatives of industry and government,
would resolve licensor-licensee disputes, without
undermining the role of TRAI. Paswan has asked the
industry to submit a detailed proposal by this week.
The Minister has also said that he
would consider a proposal to offer VSAT-based villages
phones. Basic telecom operators also pushed for the
formation of an Universal Service Obligation (USO)
fund to fund roll out in rural areas. It was also
announced at the meeting that the tripartite agreement
to be signed by the Government, operators and lenders,
would be finalised by the end of the month. Financial
institutions also sought speedy announcement of revenues
sharing terms so that project funding could be cleared.
