To all: Article on 3 new gateways in India
NEW DELHI, INDIA, 1997 NOV 12 (NB) -- By C. T. Mahabharat. Globalstar India Satellite
Service Pvt. Ltd. (GISS) and Videsh Sanchar Nigam Ltd. (VSNL) will put up three gateways for
GISS in India. These gateways, which would cover the whole of India and its neighboring countries,
will interconnect the Globalstar satellite-based wireless network and PLMN (Public Land Mobile
Network), PSTN (Public Switched Telephone Network).
GISS is a joint venture company established in India by Hyundai Electronics, Hyundai Corp.,
Crompton Greaves and Pertech Computers Ltd., which will provide satellite telephony services in
India.
Globalstar is a consortium of twelve major telcos, equipment manufacturers and space
organizations, Loral Space & Comm, Qualcomm, Vodafone, France Telecom, Dacom, Airtouch
Comm, Daimler-Benz Aerospace, Finmeccanica, Alcatel, Space Systems Loral, Alenia and
Hyundai.
Globalstar is planning to launch the global mobile communication service in over 100 countries, by
the beginning of 1999.
It is a low earth orbit satellite-based telecom system that will offer low cost, high quality digital
mobile satellite telephony and other services like paging, fax, position locations, globally and
specially to areas underserved or not served by existing telecom infrastructure, that is, remote
villages, and inhospitable terrain.
The Globalstar system constellation would consist of 48 operational satellites and 8 spare satellites
in orbit and 150 gateway earth stations. Hyundai holds exclusive rights for providing Globalstar
mobile communication services in 17 countries, including India. GISS would provide mobile
communication services under license from Hyundai.
GISS has since obtained permission from the Foreign Investment Promotion Board (FIPB) for
starting operations in India. |
