In remote and rural areas, where there is little or no terrestrial communications infrastructure, very small aperture terminal (VSAT) systems prove their value, feels Pranav Roach, president, Hughes Network Systems India. Recently, the company bagged an impressive order to connect 2,500 locations in the North-East, Jammu & Kashmir, Himachal Pradesh and Uttrakhand through broadband internet under National e-Governance Plan (NeGP). According to Roach, the main objective of this project is to make available broadband access to internet and other digital services available to the un-served users over satellite using latest standards and technologies. Roach has been leading Hughes? new initiative to bring broadband services and applications to rural India through community based computing and connectivity infrastructure to deliver e-governance, internet, interactive education and a variety of e-commerce services. In a recent interaction with Sudhir Chowdhary, he stresses that VSAT technology remains the best solution for rural areas. Excerpts:
With corporates now looking towards e-governance, how important is the recent VSAT win for Hughes?
It was rather favourable for us since we being satellite broadband facilitators, were able to put forth a viable solution to connect these areas and common service centres (CSCs), where the traditional methods of broadband had failed. The entire motive behind the NeGP is the upliftment of the rural areas. There has been considerable improvement that has been seen in the last 10-15 years, especially if one sees in terms of mobile connectivity which has witnessed a boom in recent years. On the other hand, with the advent of broadband, new avenues have opened up.
What tactics will be employed for an effective execution of this project?
Keeping in mind the ground set by the government to promote e-governance, it becomes very important for us to ensure that the technology platform is communicated effectively. It is not possible to put in place Wi-Fi and cables in areas which are practically inaccessible and thus they pose an additional challenge. With satellite broadband, we can be sure of having connectivity irrespective of the areas. It would be like connecting people across and giving them access to information required.
As of now, we are concentrating on the first phase of the project. This would involve connecting these panchayats and setting up CSCs in the areas identified.
At a macro-level, what does this initiative hold for the end user?
At the basic level, people will be able to get in touch with each other and figure out a starting point to gather information. The other facets would include areas like education, financial institutions and healthcare. In the rural areas especially, these people are cut off from the mainstream; with this initiative, we will be able to serve people on the all aspects mentioned above. Hughes has now made it possible to connect a student sitting in the remotest of areas to a professor in IIT or IIM. A track record of financial transactions can be kept. In the healthcare sector, it is largely possible to ensure an early and prompt diagnosis and treatment of the disease.
How important do you think is the public-private-partnership (PPP) mode of implementation of e-governance projects?
It is very relevant since we are talking about tackling varied terrains. When one ventures in the un-served and under-served markets, a mix of domains is needed. Right synchronication between the public servants and those in the private sphere is required as both have different levels of expertise. The key thing however is that the people in these areas tend to have a greater faith in something which carries their local flavour.
Also, a move on the government?s side in digitising its services is very important. As much as 80% of the e-commerce industry today is occupied by e-ticketing. Infact, one can say that e-ticketing has actually led to a boom in the e-commerce industry.
In reference to Hughes, we have been closely working with the government firstly in the NeGP initiative. Also, we work with the national banks in rolling out programmes for financial inclusion. Defence and railways is another sector where we have been very proactive in partnering with the government.
Hughes has been in the Indian market for more than decade now. What edge does your company has over other market players in the field of network and communication technologies?
That is not our sector largely. Our focus rests on the satellite broadband where we work with the financial institutions like NSE and BSE thus ensuring that the data is delivered to the relevant people irrespective of the areas they are based in. We offer core banking applications to the banks, connecting all the ATMs to their core branch.
Hughes is also involved in the manufacturing and distribution industry, oil and gas industry where our presence can be traced from the refinery to the petrol pumps where the end consumer is also taken in the loop.
In the education sector, one has seen tremendous growth now. With such advancements, we have been able to enable the spread of education to a wide base while transcending all borders. Also, VSAT technology will prove to be a very relevant option for the rural areas. Not only will this provide better connectivity, but, as against the traditional models, the cost of installation and the usage would not show an alarming rate of fluctuation. Hence a VSAT in New Delhi would have the same connectivity levels as a small town like Mussoorie.
