Mumbai: Nxtdigital and Thaicom have signed a deal to form a strategic partnership to enter broadband-over-satellite (BoS) market and related services in India.
The two companies have signed a binding Memorandum of Understanding (MoU).
The partnership includes deployment of BoS systems on India-focused capacity, which could be enhanced to provide future additional capacity on a state-of-art software define high throughput satellite; augmenting the existing IPSTAR-1 which is the first broadband satellite in the world and operational over India for several years.
Thaicom and Nxtdigital will look to provide BoS services immediately in IPSTAR-1 focusing mainly on the rural footprint in India, comprising 60 per cent of Nxtdigital customers through the only HITS (headend-in-the-sky) platform in India.
“The BoS service will focus on providing cost-effective and quality broadband and will give a tremendous boost to delivering education, information, entertainment, health and other services to these markets,” said the statement.
The details of partnership elements are being discussed and will be documented in definitive agreements between Thaicom and Nxtdigital.
“We are delighted to ink this MoU with Nxtdigital, which is easily one of the best digital platforms groups in India,” said Thaicom Public Company chief executive officer Patompob Suwansiri. “With our global satellite experience spanning nearly three decades and Nxtdigital’s distribution expertise, vast footprint and broadband penetration – we believe that together, we are best suited to delivering broadband over satellite and related services to India, not just at a high level of quality of service, but also cost-effectively. Our engagement and investments reflect our commitment to India, where we have had a presence since 2002, offering broadband over satellite since then.”
“We have always taken our commitment to the government’s digital India mission very seriously,” said Nxtdigital managing director and CEO Vynsley Fernandes. “With HITS, we now cover over 4,500 pin codes across India with a significant presence in not just rural India but also areas where terrain poses challenges to connectivity. Through this engagement with Thaicom, a global leader in satellite technology, we will look to facilitate digital inclusion across education, healthcare, information & entertainment - by extending satellite-based broadband connectivity and services to our customers there and also to the underserved and other poorly connected markets.”
The two companies will also develop and offer digital solutions for the government that Thaicom has already developed and deployed elsewhere in the world including satellite artificial intelligence solutions comprising space-based data technologies for agriculture, disaster relief & natural resource management public WIFI systems and drones for augmenting rural digital solutions.
“With India’s significant dependence on agriculture and the incumbent challenges of crop management – the satellite-based AI will help by providing mission-critical data on tap,” said the statement.
Both companies will also set up a Centre for Excellence to develop new satellite and related digital-based technologies through artificial intelligence and analytics – leveraging deep-tech research and development.
