ISRO’s Satellite Internet to Empower Remote Tribal Villages

ISRO’s Internet Service Initiative for Tribal Villages

Despite India’s rapid economic growth and digital transformation in recent years, a significant portion of the population, especially in remote tribal villages, remains unconnected and excluded from the benefits of the digital revolution. Lack of internet access hampers education, healthcare, economic opportunities and overall development in these areas. Recognizing this challenge, the Ministry of Tribal Affairs has collaborated with ISRO to deploy Very Small Aperture Terminal (VSAT) stations in tribal villages and provide them with satellite-based internet connectivity.

How Will ISRO’s V-SAT Technology Empower Tribal Villages?

VSAT is a satellite communications system that serves home and business users. A VSAT end user needs a box that interfaces between the user’s computer and an outside antenna with a transceiver. The transceiver receives or sends a signal to a satellite transponder in the sky. The satellite sends and receives signals from an earth station computer that acts as a hub for the system.

MoTA is partnering with ISRO to establish V-SAT stations at 80 Villages in 4 States on a pilot basis. These 4 States are Jharkhand, Madhya Pradesh, Odisha, and Maharashtra. These stations will offer Wi-Fi capacity of 100 Mbps, expandable to another 100 Mbps with boosters, enhancing connectivity and access to essential services for tribal communities. Each village will have a VSAT system to provide internet access to schools, panchayat offices, health centers and community service centers.

The satellite-based network is indeed ideal for the challenging topography and limited terrestrial connectivity in tribal areas. It offers wide coverage, fast deployment, and reliable service quality compared to other options. Satellites in orbit can provide coverage across vast mountainous areas that are otherwise difficult to reach with traditional communication infrastructure, ensuring seamless communication and offering connectivity even in the most remote and rugged terrains.

Geostationary satellite networks provide ubiquitous coverage to 99% of the world’s populated areas, making distance, topography, and even line-of-sight restrictions of microwave non-issues when providing backhaul connectivity to hard-to-reach areas.

What is the Significance of ISRO’s Internet Service Initiative for Tribal Villages?

Remote tribal villages in India face numerous challenges in accessing internet services. Factors like difficult terrain, lack of infrastructure, low population density and economic constraints make it unviable for telecom operators to extend terrestrial networks to these areas. As a result, tribal communities remain digitally excluded and deprived of the transformative potential of internet connectivity.

 A study on tribal youth’s experiences accessing education remotely during the year 2022 highlighted that even when tribal families had a smartphone with internet access, they could barely get a strong signal in their households. The broadband coverage, technological infrastructure, and affordable data packages are critical for delivering quality online education, and their absence widens the digital gap between rural and urban India

The digital divide is not only an infrastructural issue but also a socio-cultural one. Gender and economic disparities, as well as cultural norms, play significant roles in determining who benefits from the limited resources available in these remote tribal villages. For instance, tribal girls face additional constraints in attending online classes due to increased domestic obligations and societal expectations, further exacerbating the digital divide.

What Are the Expected Outcomes of This Initiative?

ISRO’s VSAT-based internet connectivity is expected to be a force multiplier for tribal development and inclusion. Some of the key anticipated benefits are:

• Improved access to quality education through e-learning, digital libraries and virtual classrooms
• Better healthcare delivery through telemedicine, remote diagnostics and e-consultations
• Increased uptake of government schemes and services through digital platforms
• Boost to local entrepreneurship and economic activities through digital payments, e-commerce etc.
• Empowerment of tribal youth with digital skills and employment opportunities

The initiative draws inspiration from ISRO’s previous successes in using VSAT technology for societal applications like tele-education, village resource centers, and disaster management support. By replicating and scaling up this model in tribal areas, ISRO aims to make a meaningful difference to some of the most disadvantaged sections of our society.

How Does This Initiative Align With National and Global Connectivity Goals?

ISRO’s tribal internet connectivity project is well-aligned with India’s national goal of digital inclusion under the Digital India program. It complements the government’s BharatNet project to provide broadband connectivity to all 250,000 gram panchayats in the country through optical fiber.

At a global level, the initiative contributes to the UN Sustainable Development Goal 9 on industry, innovation and infrastructure. Target 9.c calls for significantly increasing access to ICT and striving to provide universal and affordable internet access in least developed countries by 2020. Though delayed, ISRO’s project takes a step in that direction by focusing on unserved tribal areas.

What Are the Challenges and Considerations for Implementation?

While VSAT technology is suitable for connecting remote tribal villages, the implementation of the project is not without challenges. Some key issues that need to be addressed are:

• Ensuring reliable power supply for VSAT systems in off-grid tribal villages
• Training local staff and volunteers to operate and maintain the VSAT equipment
• Developing relevant digital content and services in local tribal languages
• Addressing socio-cultural barriers to internet adoption, especially among women and elders
• Ensuring data privacy and cybersecurity for novice tribal internet users

Effective community engagement and capacity building will be critical for the long-term sustainability and impact of the project. ISRO and the Ministry of Tribal Affairs need to work closely with local tribal communities, civil society organizations and digital literacy experts to design and deliver contextualized internet solutions. Monitoring and grievance redressal mechanisms also need to be put in place.

Final Thoughts

Union Ministry for Tribal Affairs (MoTA) and ISRO’s initiative to use satellite technology to provide internet connectivity in remote tribal villages is a commendable step towards digital inclusion and empowerment. By bridging the digital divide, the project has the potential to transform education, healthcare, governance and economic opportunities in some of the most underserved areas of India.

However, realizing this potential will require a concerted effort to address the infrastructural, socio-cultural and capacity challenges in tribal contexts.