ISRO to launch three powerful satellites in 18 months for high speed internet

GSAT satellites will revolutionise the way we use television and smartphones

By: News Desk |
May 18, 2017 2:17 pm

In a move that will usher in a new era of high-speed internet in the country, Indian Space Research Organisation (Isro) is planning to launch three communication satellites in the next 18 months. The Indian space agency will fire rockets carrying GSAT-19, GSAT-11 and GSAT-20 that will prove to be a gamechanger for India’s internet landscape.

Speaking with Indian Express, director of Ahmedabad-based Space Applications Centre( an ISRO arm) Tapan Mishra said,” The next big launch will be GSAT-19 in June… With this launch, we will begin a new age of communication satellites. It is also the beginning of high-throughput satellites (in India),”

Underlining that India is already witnessing a change in voice and video communications through Internet, he said “With future launches, television will be viewed through Internet using wireless Technology.”

These satellites will not only change the way we use television and smartphones, but also drive the future communication needs of smart cities.

“The effective data rate of GSAT satellites is one gigabyte per second. GSAT-19 will be able to transfer data at four gigabyte per second, thus making it equivalent to four satellites,” he added.

“One of the heaviest satellites ever to be built by ISRO — GSAT-11 — is scheduled to be launched in January 2018. It will have a data rate of 14 gigabyte per second. We plan to launch GSAT-20 by the end of next year. We plan to cover the entire nation with a satellite that will offer a data rate of 70 gigabyte per second. This is in sync with the requirement of high data-rate transmission needed by smart cities,” the ISRO scientist added.