BSNL & Skylotech India Announces Breakthrough in Satellite-based NB-IoT

BSNL, in partnership with Skylotech India, announces a breakthrough in satellite-based NB-IoT (Narrow Band-Internet of Things). Launched first in India, they have introduced the world’s first satellite-based NB-IoT network in India.

This follows the Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s vision of a truly Digital India – starting with fishermen, farmers, construction, mining and logistics enterprises.

With NB-IoT, India will now have access to a ubiquitous fabric of connectivity for millions of yet unconnected machines, sensors and industrial IoT devices.

A Made in India solution, NB-IoT is indigenously developed by Skylo. It will connect with BSNL’s satellite ground infrastructure and provide PAN-India coverage, including Indian seas. The coverage will be so vast that it will not leave any dark patch within the boundary of India, from Kashmir & Ladakh to Kanyakumari and from Gujarat to the North East, including the Indian seas.

P.K. Purwar, CMD, BSNL, said, “The solution is in line with BSNL’s vision to leverage technology to provide affordable and innovative telecom services and products across customers segments”.He further added:“Skylo would also help provide critical data for the logistics sector to enableeffective distribution of COVID-19vaccine in 2021and will be a big contributor in service to the nation.”

Parthsarathi Trivedi, CEO and Co-Founder, Skylo, said: “For centuries, industries, including agriculture, railways and fisheries, have been operating offline, and havenot had the opportunity to take full advantage of the latest advancements in AI& IoT– until today.This is theworld’s first satellite-based NB-IoT network and I am proud to launch this capabilityin India first to transform lives and our domestic industries”.

VivekBanzal, Director (CFA), BSNL Board, said, “Successful POCs have already been conducted by BSNL and Skylo in India and we will soon approach various user groups before the New Year 2021 begins.”

This announcement comes at a time the ongoing Indian Mobile Congress 2020. The new technology will support the Department of Telecom and NITI Aayog’s plan of bringing indigenous IoT connectivity to India’s core sectors. The technology has been successfully used in Indian Railways, fishing vessels, and enabling connected vehicles across India.

The Skylo ‘User Terminal’, which is a small, smart and rugged box, interfaces with sensors and transmits data to the Skylo Network and into people’s hands. The accompanying Data Platform provides an immersive, visual experience for industry-specific applications on mobile or desktop. The solution empowers users with the ability to take immediate and appropriate action from anywhere. This new digital machine connectivity layer will serve as a complement to smartphone-centric mobile & Wi-Fi networks, and cover India’s full geography to bring online new applications for the first time.