BENGALURU: Bharat Sanchar Nigam Limited (BSNL) and US-based satellite communications firm Viasat Friday said they will support the next phase of the Indian Navy’s satellite communications (SatCom) modernisation programme, with implementation scheduled to begin later this month.Under an agreement signed between BSNL and the Indian defence forces, Viasat’s high-capacity Ka-band satellite systems will be deployed alongside its existing L-band infrastructure to provide secure and resilient connectivity for Indian naval platforms, an official statement read. The programme will be supported by Viasat’s international government team under its Communication Services segment. Todd McDonell, president (International Government) at Viasat, said: “This upgrade combines the resilience of L-band with the power of high-throughput Ka-band, providing enhanced connectivity for mission-critical operations. It also reinforces our long-term commitment to India’s defense and maritime communication ecosystem.” The upgrade is aimed at helping the Indian Navy transition towards a multi-band, multi-constellation SatCom architecture. This is expected to improve coverage, throughput and reliability by combining BSNL’s Gateway Earth Station capabilities with Viasat’s global satellite network.“With the equipment having arrived in India and installation activities set to begin this month…This milestone marks an important step forward in our ongoing collaboration with BSNL and the Indian defense forces,” Viasat India managing director Gautam Sharma, said.Robert Ravi, chairman and managing director, BSNL, said the company was proud to support the Indian Navy’s SatCom modernisation through its partnership with Viasat, adding that the upgrade reflected BSNL’s role in strengthening India’s strategic communications infrastructure.Officials said the use of both L-band and Ka-band systems would allow greater operational flexibility. While L-band offers reliability in challenging conditions, Ka-band provides higher data rates required for modern naval communications. Viasat has been a long-term technology partner to the Centre, providing satellite communication services across civilian and strategic domains, the statement read. It added that its work in India includes support for disaster response networks, tsunami early warning systems operated by the National Institute of Ocean Technology, vessel tracking for the directorate general of shipping, and aeronautical connectivity for private and govt aircraft.
