India can leapfrog others by using satcom to enable industrial IoT: Inmarsat's Rajeev Suri

Rajeev Suri (Image: Reuters)

India has an opportunity to leapfrog other countries by using satellite communications to enable the industrial internet of things, which could be an enabler for greater productivity in the decades to come, Inmarsat CEO Rajeev Suri said on February 18.

Speaking at the NASSCOM Technology and Leadership Forum, Suri said that providing a complete and reliable connectivity for devices and machines is a huge opportunity around the world, especially in India with so many people in such a vast expanse of territory.

"We are working with a growing number of solution providers across the globe, we want to be able to start doing that in India increasingly, as well. We help them to build satellite connectivity into their solutions, so that they can work anywhere" Suri said.

"These technologies are increasingly accessible, they stand ready to help Indian businesses achieve growth, improve efficiency, enhance sustainability and safety" he said.

In October last year, British satellite operator Inmarsat had announced that it had secured necessary licenses to deliver its Global Xpress broadband services to Indian customers across government, aviation and maritime through its strategic partner Bharat Sanchar Nigam Ltd (BSNL).

Weighing on the cost of satellite Internet services, Suri said that satellite connectivity historically has had a reputation for being more expensive than what it really is, and in many cases, that's not quite the reality.

"For many rural areas in the world's remote regions, the business case for fixed terrestrial, or even mobile terrestrial coverage is just a non-starter. If you think about the cost and complexity of bringing terrestrial fiber to a remote village, I believe that in many cases, satellite coverage would be a downright bargain. So it's much much more economical to do satellite" Suri said.

That said, Suri mentioned that cost is an issue for all types of connectivity and it is extremely important to keep reducing the cost per bit.

He noted that while Inmarsat is not in the business of providing fixed satellite services to consumers, Viasat provides connectivity in rural communities by installing community internet hotspots that connect to one of their satellites. Viasat had announced plans to buy Inmarsat in a $7.3 billion deal in November last year.

Suri said the role of space will be critical when it comes to ensuring 100% access to connectivity in every part of the planet, since satellite communications can provide coverage where others cannot.

"I think it is safe to say that space-based communications will be one of the most interesting, most dynamic sectors of the decade," he said.

He also expects that capacity will skyrocket in the next few years, predicting a 10x to 20x capacity increase from 2020 to 2025.

"Over the next decade, we will see massive capacity from satellites and accessing that capacity will become cheaper and easier. There will be new devices and services that will make connecting unconnected homes, schools, hospitals and other places truly possible anywhere" Suri added.

Suri also expects more consolidation to happen in the sector in the coming years. "There are currently more than 50 active satellite communications operators and I would bet that there will be far less than half of that number in just a decade from now" he said.