India opens inflight data market for Inmarsat
By MYBRANDBOOK
British satellite operator Inmarsat Holdings Ltd got India’s approval to sell high-speed broadband to planes and shipping vessels, making it the first foreign operator to get authorization. It is expected to begin its services later this year once the ground infrastructure and associated approvals are in place.
Indian state-owned telecommunications company Bharat Sanchar Nigam Ltd (BSNL) issued the license to offer IFMC services, which will include Inmarsat’s Global Xpress (Ka-band) and Swift Broadband and Fleet Broadband (L-band) services, to Indian airlines operating within and outside India, as well as foreign airlines transporting through Indian airspace, and shipping companies operating within Indian waters.
BSNL and Inmarsat’s GX Aviation Value Added Resellers (VARs) will be able to offer the world-leading inflight Wi-Fi experience to domestic customers in India. The license will also benefit foreign airlines transiting through Indian airspace and flying to and from Indian airport hubs.
GX Aviation service allows passengers to browse the internet, stream videos, check social media and much more during their flights, with connectivity similar to mobile broadband services on the ground. It is the world’s first and only global, high-speed inflight internet service, delivered through a single, wholly-owned and operated network of high-throughput satellites.
Chief Executive Officer Rajeev Suri informed that Inmarsat has struck deals with Indian airline SpiceJet Ltd and the Shipping Corp of India Ltd. The operator already offered reliable but low-data “L-band” services in India. The new license lets it offer much faster 4G-like “Ka-band” broadband on its GX network.
The in-flight broadband was Inmarsat’s fastest-growing unit before the pandemic faltered the aviation industry. The firm was acquired by a private equity consortium for $3.4 billion last year.
Inmarsat’s gets the connectivity from satellites in geostationary orbit, but it will likely end up competing with new deep-pocketed low-earth orbit satellite rivals like Elon Musk’s Space Exploration Technologies Corp and Indian telecommunications tycoon Sunil Mittal’s OneWeb, which beam broadband from much closer to the earth.
BREAKING NEWS
TECHNO TRENDS
Legal Battle Over IT Act Intensifies Amid Musk’s India Plans
The outcome of the legal dispute between X Corp and the Indian government c...
Wipro inks 10-year deal with Phoenix Group's ReAssure UK worth
The agreement, executed through Wipro and its 100% subsidiary,...
Centre announces that DPDP Rules nearing Finalisation by April
The government seeks to refine the rules for robust data protection, ensuri...
Home Ministry cracks down on PoS agents in digital arrest scam
Digital arrest scams are a growing cybercrime where victims are coerced or ...
E-Magazine
TECHNOTAINMENT
Hrithik Roshan to endorse RuPay as Brand Ambassador
RuPay is reportedly planning to feature Bollywood superstar Hrithik Rosha
India Today Group launches – AI Pop Stars
Staying true to our industry leadership position in using cutting-edge tech
MOVERS & SHAKERS
TelioLabs ropes in Phaniraj V A as the Group CEO
TelioLabs has announced the onboarding of Phaniraj V A as its new Group CE
Wipro Appoints Amit Kumar as Managing Partner and Global Head
Wipro Limited (NYSE: WIT, BSE: 507685, NSE: WIPRO), a leading technology s
OPEN YOUR EYES
INTERVIEWS
Alcatel-Lucent Enterprise Carrying a 100 year legacy ahead
A good amount of R&D works and global support services are operated out of
Cisco building a trusted and resilient future for the nation
Security is foundational to everything Cisco does and customers insist on e
HOT PICK
MSI Announces the availability of RTX 50 series of laptops in
MSI, the innovative computing manufacturer in gaming, creator
Nothing Phone (3a) goes on sale today, starting at Rs 19,999
The phone was launched on March 4, featuring a 50MP main, ultra-wide, and t
MAKE IN INDIA BRANDS
BHARAT ELECTRONICS LTD.
TP-LINK INDIA PVT. LTD.
QUICK HEAL TECHNOLOGIES PVT. LTD.
EXATRON SERVERS MANUFACTURING PVT. LTD.
EMINENT CIO'S OF INDIA
ICONS OF INDIA
ICONS OF INDIA : RAJESH NAMBIAR
Rajesh leads the company’s India associates and enhances relationshi...
Icons Of India : AALOK KUMAR
Aalok Kumar is celebrated as a global leader and recipient of the Peop...
Icons Of India : Bhavish Aggarwal
Indian entrepreneur Bhavish Aggarwal is the CEO of Ola, India’s larg...
PARTNER SPEAKERS
PSU
RailTel Corporation of India Limited
RailTel is a leading telecommunications infrastructure provider in Ind...
UIDAI - Unique Identification Authority of India
UIDAI and the Aadhaar system represent a significant milestone in Indi...
TCIL - Telecommunications Consultants India Limited
TCIL is a government-owned engineering and consultancy company...
VIDEOS
Top 25 Brands
Global Indian industry
Indian Tech Talent Excelling The Tech World - Lal Karsanbhai, President & CEO, Emerson
Lal Karsanbhai, President and CEO of Emerson, assumed the leadership i...
Indian Tech Talent Excelling The Tech World - Steve Sanghi, Executive Chair, Microchip
Steve Sanghi, the Executive Chair of Microchip Technology, has been a ...
Indian Tech Talent Excelling The Tech World - Aman Bhutani, CEO, GoDaddy
Aman Bhutani, the self-taught techie and CEO of GoDaddy, oversees a co...
ITFORUM 2025
CMO of the Year
WOMEN LEADERSHIP
IMAGE GALLERY
TRENDS IN TECHNOLOGY
MORE VIDEOS
ADVERTISEMENTS
TECHNOLOGY DISRUPTION
UNICORNS REVOLUTIONISING
of images belongs to the respective copyright holders
