Move aside Jio, Bengaluru-based start-up wants to give internet to rural India through outer spaceSep 24 (AZINS) With nearly half of India’s population not having access to internet, it’s going to be a challenge for big players to reach to the various pockets of the country. But now, things may change after this Bengaluru-based startup aims to use space satellites to reach every pocket in of the country.

According to their website, Astrome, an Indian space technology company, aims to provide high speed broadband internet from space. “To achieve this, we are developing next generation technologies that will have high impact on the lives of people. High-speed broadband which is currently limited to urban areas, will be made location independent by our Advanced High Throughput Satellites (HTS).  Through this, we hope to develop an ecosystem that can make quality education, healthcare and government services more accessible over internet.”

The first set of high capacity satellites are scheduled to be launched in 2019. “They will form a mini-constellation in Low Earth Orbit (LEO) and start providing regular, yet reliable, broadband connectivity. A year later, in 2020, a lot more satellites will enter LEO and form a full-fledged constellation of high capacity satellites, guaranteeing continuous and reliable broadband connectivity to users on earth,” the website added.

While speaking to Newschrome, a local news website, Prasad Bhat, the founder CEO said, “We will have a constellation of 150 High Throughput Satellites orbiting the Earth at 1400 kilometer. These ‘floating routers’, as we love to call them, take turns to provide high bandwidth, reliable internet wherever you are. The satellites talk to each other and form a Tier-1 internet network in space. We will also have ground stations connecting our satellites to terrestrial internet”.

Interestingly, it’s a lot easier to get Internet from space, based on the principle of DTH television. All one needs is an antennae and a set top box. After the installation, WiFi is installed on all electronic devices that are internet-enabled.