19-Aug-2025
Satellite Internet
Science & Technology
Why in News?
Starlink has received a Unified Licence to provide satellite internet services in India.
| Contextual Reference: Commercial satellite internet services are not yet operational in India. |
- Satellite internet uses orbiting satellites (or mega-constellations) to transmit data between user terminals on Earth and space-based infrastructure. Satellites deployed in 3 mains orbits:
|
Orbit |
Altitude |
Latency |
Coverage |
Examples |
|
Geostationary (GEO) |
~35,786 km above equator |
High |
~1/3rdof Earth’s surface |
Viasat Global Xpress |
|
Medium Earth Orbit (MEO) |
2,000–35,786 km |
Lower than GEO |
Requires constellations for global coverage |
O3b MEO |
|
Low Earth Orbit (LEO) |
> 2,000 km |
Very low |
Smaller coverage per satellite |
Starlink |
Key Potential Applications
- Connectivity & Communications: Provides internet in remote areas via compact user terminals.
- Transport & Logistics: Enhances navigation, supports autonomous vehicles, improves logistics, early warning systems, and coordinated disaster response.
- Healthcare & Agriculture: Facilitates telemedicine, remote monitoring, precision farming, and optimized resource use.
- Strategic & Environmental Uses: Aids defense operations, energy exploration, and environmental monitoring.
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Key Satellite Internet Projects |
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