Elon Musk's SpaceX Inks Deal With Airtel to Launch Starlink Satellite in India

Bharti Airtel has signed a deal with Elon Musk's SpaceX to launch Starlink satellite internet in India. This partnership aims to bring high-speed internet to even the most remote parts of the country, enhancing connectivity for businesses, schools, health centers, and communities.

The collaboration will also explore how Starlink can complement and expand Airtel's offerings, utilizing Airtel's ground network infrastructure.

This move comes after the Indian government sided with Musk on the spectrum allocation issue, favoring administrative allocation over auctions. The deal is still subject to regulatory approvals for SpaceX to operate Starlink in India.

Airtel and SpaceX will explore offering Starlink equipment in Airtel's retail stores and providing Starlink services to business customers. They also plan to use Starlink to bring high-speed internet to rural schools, health centers, and remote areas.

Additionally, the Airtel-Starlink collaboration will explore how Starlink can complement and expand Airtel's offerings, utilizing Airtel's ground network infrastructure. This includes leveraging Airtel's expertise in the Indian market to enhance SpaceX's direct offerings to consumers and businesses.

By adding Starlink to its portfolio, Airtel aims to expand its coverage into regions with little to no internet. This will provide businesses and communities in remote areas with more choices for high-speed internet connectivity, thereby improving their digital experience.

Gopal Vittal, Managing Director and Vice Chairman of Bharti Airtel, expressed excitement about the partnership, highlighting its significance in bringing next-generation satellite connectivity to India.

Gwynne Shotwell, President and Chief Operating Officer of SpaceX, emphasized the transformative impact Starlink can bring to the people of India and praised the collaboration with Airtel.

Starlink delivers high-speed, low-latency internet to users all over the world. As the world's first and largest satellite constellation using a low Earth orbit, Starlink delivers broadband internet capable of supporting streaming, online gaming, video calls and more.  Starlink is engineered and operated by SpaceX. As the world’s leading provider of launch services, SpaceX is leveraging its deep experience with both spacecraft and on-orbit operations to deploy the world’s most advanced broadband internet system.

Alphabet's X Division Unveils 'Taara Chip' to Revolutionize Internet Connectivity Using Light Beams

The Taara chip is a groundbreaking innovation from Alphabet's X division, designed to revolutionize internet connectivity using light beams.

In July 2023, IndianWeb2 reported that Google's parent Alphabet and Indian telecom and internet provider, Bharti Airtel, working together to deploy a new laser internet technology in India, under a project known as — Taara, a part of Alphabet's X division.

This silicon photonic chip, about the size of a fingernail, leverages light to transmit high-speed data, making it a cost-effective and efficient solution for providing internet access, especially in remote and underserved areas.

 

Here are some key highlights of Taara Chip system:

• High-Speed Data Transmission: The Taara chip can transmit data at speeds of up to 10 Gbps over a distance of 1 kilometer.
• Software-Based Beam Steering: Unlike its predecessor, the Taara Lightbridge, which used mechanical components, the Taara chip relies on software to steer, track, and correct light beams with extraordinary precision.
• Cost-Effective and Quick Deployment: The chip can be set up in a matter of days, making it a viable solution for areas where laying traditional fiber-optic cables is impractical or too costly.
• Potential Applications: The technology could bring high-speed internet to underserved regions, rethink data center operations, and enable faster, safer communication for autonomous vehicles.

The first commercial iteration of the Taara chip is expected to be available by 2026.

How does Taara technology compare to fiber-optic solutions?

Let's break down the comparison between Taara technology and traditional fiber-optic solutions:

 

Feature	Taara Technology	Fiber-Optic Solutions
Data Transmission	Light beams, up to 10 Gbps over 1 km	Light through cables, high-speed over long distances
Deployment	Quick and cost-effective, set up in days	Time-consuming and costly, especially in tough terrains
Flexibility	Ideal for remote or challenging areas	Suited for urban and suburban areas with infrastructure
Maintenance	Software-based, reducing potential points of failure	Requires regular upkeep of physical infrastructure
Geographical Suitability	Remote and geographically challenging areas	Urban and suburban areas
Key Advantages	Cost-effective, quick to deploy, flexible	Gold standard for high-speed connectivity

Alphabets X team says that it imagines a future where connectivity is not bound by cables or constrained by cost. By dramatically reducing the size and complexity of Taara Chip-powered systems, the team's aim is to eventually drastically reduce the cost of connectivity, creating a network effect within the industry.

Using chips deployed in a global mesh network, the Google's parent firm sees opportunities to bring high-speed internet to underserved regions, rethink the way data centers are built and operated, enable faster, create safer communication for autonomous vehicles, and so much more. The possibilities are as boundless as light itself.

Taara’s chip will be available in Alphabet's next product launching in 2026. However, before then, the company is inviting researchers and innovators interested in exploring new applications for this technology to get in touch.

For the 1st Time Since Independence, Lakshadweep Getting Connected Through Submarine Optic Fibre Cable

• PM inaugurates Kochi-Lakshadweep Islands Submarine Optical Fibre Connection
• Project will ensure 100 times faster Internet for the people of Lakshadweep: PM
• Enable faster and more reliable internet services, telemedicine, e-governance, educational initiatives, digital banking, digital currency usage, digital literacy, etc.
• The project is funded by Universal Services Obligation Fund (USOF), Department of Telecommunications

Prime Minister, Mr Narendra Modi today, in Kavaratti, Lakshadweep, inaugurated Kochi-Lakshadweep islands submarine optical fiber connection (KLI-SOFC) project among various developmental projects worth more than Rs 1,150 crore covering a wide range of sectors including technology, energy, water resources, healthcare and education.

The KLI-SOFC project will lead to an increase in internet speed unlocking new possibilities & opportunities. For the first time since independence, Lakshadweep will be connected through Submarine Optic Fibre Cable. The dedicated submarine OFC will ensure a paradigm shift in communication infrastructure in the Lakshadweep islands, enabling faster and more reliable internet services, telemedicine, e-governance, educational initiatives, digital banking, digital currency usage, digital literacy etc.

Addressing the gathering, the Prime Minister recalled the guarantee given by him in 2020 about ensuring fast internet within 1,000 days. He said, “Kochi-Lakshadweep Islands Submarine Optical Fiber Connection (KLI - SOFC) project has been dedicated to people today and will ensure 100 times faster Internet for the people of Lakshadweep”. He added, “This will improve facilities like government services, medical treatment, education and digital banking. The potential of developing Lakshadweep as a logistics hub will get strength from this”.

The Prime Minister assured the people of Lakshadweep that the government will continue to take every possible step to ensure their ease of living, ease of travel and ease of doing business. The Prime Minister highlighted that “Lakshadweep will play a strong role in the creation of a Viksit Bharat”.

Administrator of UT of Lakshadweep, Shri Praful Patel was present on the occasion among others.

Background of Kochi-Lakshadweep Submarine OFC (KLI) Project

The need for digitally connecting the Lakshadweep Islands through a high capacity submarine cable link with the main land has been felt for some time. Earlier, the only means of communication with the Islands was through Satellite medium, which had limited bandwidth capacity and was not able to meet the growing bandwidth demand.

The Department of Telecommunications (DOT) took immediate action and conceptualized the Kochi-Lakshadweep Submarine OFC Project (KLI project). The KLI project has been completed well within the timelines.

In the Kochi-Lakshadweep Islands Submarine Cable (KLI) project submarine cable connectivity from Mainland (Kochi) to eleven Lakshadweep Islands namely, Kavaratti, Agatti, Amini, Kadmat, Chetlet, Kalpeni, Minicoy, Androth, Kiltan, Bangaram and Bitra has been extended.

The project is funded by Universal Services Obligation Fund (USOF), Department of Telecommunication.

Bharat Sanchar Nigam Limited (BSNL) was the Project Executing Agency and the work was awarded to M/s NEC Corporation India Pvt Ltd through Global Open Tendering process. Major activities related to the project includes Marine Route Survey, Submarine Cable laying, Civil Construction of CLS stations, Installation, Testing and Commissioning of End Terminals (SLTE).

Highlights of the KLI Project:

• Total link distance: 1,868 kilometres.
• Total cost of project : Rs 1072 crore plus taxes.

Benefit of the KLI Project:

The project will play a significant role in achieving the objective of ‘Digital India’ and ‘National Broadband Mission’ and for rolling out of various e-governance projects of Government of India in Lakshadweep Islands.

E-Governance, Tourism, Education, Health, Commerce and Industries will get a boost. It will also help in further improvement in standards of living of the people in Island and will accelerate overall social and economic development in these areas.

Population of Lakshadweep Islands will be provided high speed wireline broadband connectivity.

High speed broadband will be provided through FTTH and 5G/4G Mobile network.
The bandwidth created under this project will be available to all Telecom Service Providers (TSPs) to strengthen their telecom services in the Lakshadweep Islands.

With 1200 GB/s Speed, China Launches World's Fastest Internet

China claims to have launched the world's first ultra-high-speed next-generation Internet backbone with a bandwidth of 1,200 GB per second (1.2 Terrabytes), reported China’s national daily Xinhuanet.

The speed of 1.2 TB per second means one can download more than 100 movies within a second.

Jointly developed by Tsinghua University, Huawei Technologies Co., China Mobile Ltd., and CERNET.com, this ultra-high-speed next-generation Internet backbone has a 3,000 kilometer (1,860-mile) internet network linking Beijing to the south, which China is touting as its latest technological breakthrough.

China claim it as the world's first internet network to achieve a "stable and reliable" bandwidth of 1.2 terabits per second, several times faster than typical speeds around the world. Trials began July 31 and it's since passed various tests verifying that milestone, the university said in a statement.

China started trials of its ambitious – Future Internet Technology Infrastructure (FITI) project, on July 31 this year. FITI is built by 40 Chinese universities including the Tsinghua University. FITI has been running stably and reliably, successfully passing various tests.

Tsinghua, Chinese President Xi Jinping's alma mater, is plugging the project as an industry-first built entirely on homegrown technology, and credits Huawei prominently in its statement.

The FITI backbone is operated based on China's domestically-owned key technologies such as the next-generation Internet core router 1.2T ultra-high-speed IPv6 interface and the ultra-high-speed multi-path aggregation. Both the software and hardware of the FITI backbone are made domestically.

With 5,255 GB/second, Australia Records World's Fastest Internet Speed Ever

Researchers in Australia from Monash University, Swinburne University and RMIT University claimed to have logged a data speed of 44.2 terabits per second (Tbps), that is about 5,255 Gigabytes per second, a speed with which you can download 1000 HD movies in less than a second.

[caption id="attachment_145785" align="alignleft" width="300"] Micro-Comb[/caption]

This incredible speed was achieved using a single-piece of tiny device called a "Micro-Comb", which claimed to have replace existing internet infrastructure sometime soon and could hit behemoth of download speeds, providing millions with ample data at the same time, even during the busiest periods.

Researchers said they achieved the new record speed by using micro-comb that replaces around 80 lasers found in some existing telecoms hardware. The micro-comb was planted into and tested - outside the laboratory - using existing infrastructure, similar to that used by Australia's National Broadband Network (NBN).

The result was the highest amount of data ever produced by a single optical chip, which are used in modern fibre-optic broadband systems around the world. The Australian team now hope their findings offer a glimpse into how internet connections could look in the future.

The study says during peak time, internet speed at this rate can be accessible for over 1.8 million houses in Melbourne. In addition to this, billions of people from across the world.

However, the reality might not be quite as shiny as downloading all of Netflix in a blink, but with other potential improvements to internet technology on the horizon, even moderate jumps of several terabits per second over short distances are improvements worth paying attention to.

"And it's not just Netflix we're talking about here – it's the broader scale of what we use our communication networks for," says Monash University computer systems engineer Bill Corcoran.

"This data can be used for self-driving cars and future transportation and it can help the medicine, education, finance and e-commerce industries, as well as enable us to read with our grandchildren from kilometres away."

~ The research was published in Nature Communications.

ISRO To Bring 100+ Gbps Internet for Entire India By 2019

In 90s era very few people in India had access to internet and those who had, could seen hooked up on their telephone operating dial-up internet connection having bandwidth speed of few Kbps and then came Internet revolution where companies like Airtel, Hathway, Tata and BSNL started offering comfortable speed to users in India.

In 2016, it was nothing less then a bonanza when Airtel introduced 100 Mbps internet plan then in last year, an ISP made a milestone by introducing India's first 1 Gbps wired broadband internet connection but those too are past now as the speed has now become unmatchable for ever growing internet users in India. India has the world's second largest internet user base yet the country's rank in broadband speed is 76th in the world.

Now in a latest development, chairman of Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO), has said that India will soon enjoy more than 100 Gbps high bandwidth connectivity across the country in the next few years with the launch of three GSAT satellites before the end of next year.

As ISRO will launch GSAT-11 and GSAT-29 by end of this year and GSAT-20 will be launched by early next year. Notably, these three satellites are high throughput satellites and together they will provide more than 100 Gbps high bandwidth connectivity across the entire country which will help bridge the digital divide, said Dr K Sivan, chairman of ISRO, at an event.

GSAT-11 and GSAT-20 will use multiple spot beams (a special kind of transponder that operates on a high frequency) that will increase internet speed and connectivity. These multiple spot beams will cover the entire country.

A spot beam is a satellite signal that is specially concentrated (sent by a high-gain antenna located on the satellite) so that it covers only a limited geographic area on earth. These new satellites, once operational, will be capable of providing high-quality internet, phone and video services

GSAT-11, which is heavier than GSAT-19, will be launched by the year-end and will use 16 beams. It will be able to transfer data at the rate of 13 gigabytes per second. GSAT-20, whose launch is set at the end of 2018, will use 40 beams. Each beam will have two polarisations, which will effectively make them 80 beams. So, GSAT-11 satellite will alone have data rate of 60-70 gigabytes/sec.

Few days back have reported about the same set of communication satellites which will also be a boon for rural Indian population to get high-speed bandwidth connectivity.

[Source - Times of India]

ISRO To Bring 100+ Gbps Internet for Entire India By 2019

In 90s era very few people in India had access to internet and those who had, could seen hooked up on their telephone operating dial-up internet connection having bandwidth speed of few Kbps and then came Internet revolution where companies like Airtel, Hathway, Tata and BSNL started offering comfortable speed to users in India.

In 2016, it was nothing less then a bonanza when Airtel introduced 100 Mbps internet plan then in last year, an ISP made a milestone by introducing India's first 1 Gbps wired broadband internet connection but those too are past now as the speed has now become unmatchable for ever growing internet users in India. India has the world's second largest internet user base yet the country's rank in broadband speed is 76th in the world.

Now in a latest development, chairman of Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO), has said that India will soon enjoy more than 100 Gbps high bandwidth connectivity across the country in the next few years with the launch of three GSAT satellites before the end of next year.

As ISRO will launch GSAT-11 and GSAT-29 by end of this year and GSAT-20 will be launched by early next year. Notably, these three satellites are high throughput satellites and together they will provide more than 100 Gbps high bandwidth connectivity across the entire country which will help bridge the digital divide, said Dr K Sivan, chairman of ISRO, at an event.

GSAT-11 and GSAT-20 will use multiple spot beams (a special kind of transponder that operates on a high frequency) that will increase internet speed and connectivity. These multiple spot beams will cover the entire country.

A spot beam is a satellite signal that is specially concentrated (sent by a high-gain antenna located on the satellite) so that it covers only a limited geographic area on earth. These new satellites, once operational, will be capable of providing high-quality internet, phone and video services

GSAT-11, which is heavier than GSAT-19, will be launched by the year-end and will use 16 beams. It will be able to transfer data at the rate of 13 gigabytes per second. GSAT-20, whose launch is set at the end of 2018, will use 40 beams. Each beam will have two polarisations, which will effectively make them 80 beams. So, GSAT-11 satellite will alone have data rate of 60-70 gigabytes/sec.

Few days back have reported about the same set of communication satellites which will also be a boon for rural Indian population to get high-speed bandwidth connectivity.

[Source - Times of India]

Soon A 100Gbps Submarine Cable System Connecting India To Asia, Africa, Europe

Reliance Jio, the name which took the Indian telecom sector by storm last year by gaining over 100 million 4G mobile subscribers in just over an year, has announced that it will soon be launching its very own submarine cable system with 100Gbps capacity. The new system will be linking Asia-Africa-Europe (AAE-1).

According to Reliance Jio, the AAE-1 system longest 100Gbps-technology based submarine system, and it will stretch over a distance of 25,000 km.

For the uninitiated, a submarine cable system basically consists of telecom and internet cables on the seabed between land-based stations. They are responsible for carrying out telecommunication and data signals across stretches of oceans all around the world.

The new cable system will stretch from Marseille in France and go all the way to Hong Kong. There are going to be total of 21 cable landings across Asia and Europe.

Jio claims that the cable system's design and route will ensure lowest latency routes between Hong Kong, India, Middle East and Europe. AAE-1 cable system deploys 100Gbps transmission technology, with a minimum design capacity of 40 Tbps.

According to Jio's statement, the project is the combined work of some of the top telecom service providers from Europe, Asia and the Middle East. The submarine cable system once completed will have important Points of Presence (PoP) in Hong Kong and Singapore, and three onward connectivity options in Europe via France, Italy and Greece. Reliance Jio is the one responsible for providing the Network Operations and Management for this submarine cable system.

According to Mathew Oommen, president, Reliance Jio Infocomm Ltd., the new submarine cable system is the telecom's effort to keep providing its customers with the best offers and connectivity. He said, "The new terabit capacity and 100 Gbps direct connectivity to global content hubs and interconnection points ensure that Jio will continue to offer its customers the most exceptional high speed internet and digital service experience."

“We are excited to participate in the launch and deliver the cable landing in Mumbai at the time when India’s data traffic continues its accelerated data consumption and growth,” he added.

The cable system will help in meeting the growing demand for video-centric data bandwidth in India, which has substantially grown in the last year, courtesy Jio’s entry. Jio's AAE-1 will also link with other cable systems and fiber networks and deliver direct access to all international markets.

India Gets Its First 1Gbps Broadband Service in Hyderabad

ACT (Atria Convergence Technologies) Fibernet, which is the third largest ISP in the wired broadband category in India after BSNL and Airtel, debuted its 1 Gbps wired broadband internet connection for the first time in the country in Hyderabad yesterday. With this, ACT Fibernet became the first local Internet Service Provider (ISP) to launch 1 Gbps wired broadband connection in the Indian subcontinent.

The 1 gigabit internet service will be rolled out in the capital city of Telangana, which is also a major IT business hub for the country. The 1 Gbps speed being offered by ACT Fibernet is the same as being made available by Google Fiber in select United States cities, and is almost 10x the speed being currently offered to Indian consumers by most Indian ISPs.

The ISP has been meticulously working over the past one year to make the launch of 1 Gbps internet connection possible. The connection will initially be launched in Hyderabad making it India's first Giga City and will then be gradually introduced in other cities of the country.

The 1 Gbps wired broadband internet connection will cost a consumer Rs. 6,900 per month, and come along with a bandwidth cap of 1TB for uploads and downloads. Though the price looks steep at first look, it is important to note here that ACT's 100Mbps plans start at Rs. 2,000 per month with a cap of 250GB, while the annual subscriptions to streaming video services Hotstar and Netflix start at Rs. 1,200 and Rs. 6000, respectively.

By launching 1 Gbps wired broadband internet connection, ACT left India's multi-vertical giant, Reliance far behind at bringing gigabit internet to the country. When the corporation launched its 4G network in the country last year, it announced about its plans to bring 1 Gbps broadband services in 100 major Indian cities.

With an average internet speed of 4.1Mbps across the country, India is currently placed at 105th position in the global ranking for broadband speeds. But with the launch of 1 Gbps wired broadband internet connection, ACT Fibernet has made India on par with very few developed nations in case of high speed internet.

With over 1.2 million customers and an estimated turnover of about Rs 1,200 crore, ACT is the largest non-telco ISP in the country. The company is planning to expand to newer cities and customer base in the next 18 months and has allocated about Rs 1,000 crore towards capital expenditure for the same.