Gandhinagar, Jul 19 (IANS): London-based company OneWeb and the Gujarat Government’s Science and Technology Department have signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) today for the establishment of a ‘Satellite Network Portal Site’ in Gujarat.

The portal site aims to provide affordable connectivity to various sectors, including the government, offering continuous and secure satellite internet access at affordable rates nationwide.

“OneWeb will set up one of the private ‘satellite network portal sites’ in Mehsana district of Gujarat. The satellite network portal site, which will be located in Jotana taluka of Mehsana district, plans to provide high-speed, low-latency, and affordable connectivity to the government, businesses, consumers, schools, and more,” a government statement said.

The satellite network portal in Katosan and Tejpura, Jotana taluka, Gujarat, is scheduled to launch in 2023 with an estimated cost of over Rs. 100 crores for its Phase-1.

The project is also expected to generate approximately 500 direct and indirect employment opportunities in the state.

OneWeb is a Low Earth Orbit (LEO) satellite company with 648 satellites, aiming to establish a global communication network. By utilizing LEO satellites instead of traditional geostationary satellites, OneWeb offers broadband Internet access with lower latency of less than 100 ms, compared to GEO-based networks with latencies of 500-700 ms, providing efficient network services.

This technology is already operational in Europe and Canada. In India, OneWeb aims to provide cost-effective satellite connectivity services to mobile network operators and Internet service providers.