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Time of India

Satcom crucial for connectivity during disasters: TRAI's AK Lahoti

NEW DELHI: Satellite communications will play a pivotal role during disasters or natural calamities, as restoring and enabling communication is the foremost priority in any emergency response, according to TRAI Chairman AK Lahoti . ' Satellite communication is very important. In case of disaster, the terrestrial network infrastructure typically gets damaged due to the calamity or the disaster. In such cases, satellite communication immediately becomes available and is a big relief, because communication is the first thing we look forward to in case of a disaster,' Lahoti told ETTelecom on the sidelines of the recent IAFI's Space Policy Conference. He said satellite communication is already available in India, and now what we are discussing is its further expansion. 'Satellite communication holds significant potential in delivering ubiquitous broadband connectivity . As we know, broadband availability is a fundamental enabler for socio-economic development—spanning education, healthcare, governance, and the delivery of public services. In rural and remote areas where terrestrial networks are difficult to deploy, satellite communication can provide immediate access, bridging the digital divide effectively,' Lahoti said. It will also play a vital role in everyday life, especially in rural and remote areas, by enabling access to essential public services. Beyond that, it holds immense importance for providing connectivity to vessels, aircraft, and vehicles. As IoT (Internet of Things) adoption grows rapidly, satellite communication will also be key to connecting IoT devices in underserved and hard-to-reach regions, he said, adding IoT will be one of the major use cases for satcom space. According to a report by Research and Markets, the satellite communication market is estimated at $16.9 billion in 2024 to $33.2 billion by 2029, at a CAGR of 14.5%. The satellite communication services market is growing exponentially, and it can be attributed to various factors. The report said these include the need for dependable connections in remote plus marginal areas, expansion in IoT and Machine-to-Machine (M2M) applications, and an increasing dependence on satellite-based broadcasting and data transfer.