The service was launched in association with US firm Skylo, which developed the device for use in India.
According to a BSNL official, the device developed by Skylo will be provided only through the state-owned company at a price of around Rs 10,000 per unit. The square-shaped device can be carried by users anywhere in the country and connected with their smartphones for two-way communication.
“The solution is in line with BSNL’s vision of leveraging technology to provide innovative and affordable telecommunications products and services across all customer segments.
“Skylo would also help provide critical data to the logistics sector to enable the effective distribution of the COVID-19 vaccine in 2021 and will be a major contributor to serving the nation,” said BSNL President and CEO PK Purwar in a statement.
This new ‘Made in India’ solution, indigenously developed by Skylo, will connect with BSNL’s satellite terrestrial infrastructure and provide coverage throughout India, including the Indian seas, according to the statement.
“The coverage will be so wide that it will not leave any dark spots within the limits of India, from Kashmir and Ladakh to Kanyakumari, and from Gujarat to the northeast, including the Indian seas,” he added.
BSNL further said that the technology has already been successfully tested in various segments, including Indian railways, fishing boats and to enable connected vehicles across India.
“BSNL and Skylo have already carried out successful Proof of Concept (POC) in India and we will be reaching out to various user groups soon before the New Year 2021 starts,” said BSNL Director of the Board (CFA) Vivek Banzal.
Skylo CEO and co-founder Parthsarathi Trivedi said that for centuries industries, including agriculture, railways and fishing, have been operating offline and have not had the opportunity to take full advantage of the latest advancements in artificial intelligence and IoT to date.
“This is the world’s first satellite-based NB-IoT network and I am proud to launch this capability in India first to transform lives and our national industries,” said Trivedi.