NEW DELHI: Loral Skynet, subsidiary of the US-based Loral Space & Communications, is now targeting India with its IP-led services and feels that the country’s DTH regulations are still not investor-friendly.
“The (DTH) regulations are still not friendly enough to attract big time investment, though the business opportunities are big here,” Loral Skynet senior executive vice-president (business operations) Richard H. Currier told indiantelevision.com.
Speaking on the sidelines of the ongoing 13th Convergence India 2005, Currier felt that too many licence restrictions stopped India from realising its full potential in the convergence sector of telecom, IT and broadcast.
“Ideally, there should be one licence, which should allow the service provider to provide an array of services across several segments,” Currier said, while pointing out that he’s understanding of the Indian laws are “limited.”
When pointed out that the sector regulator, Telecom Regulatory Authority of India, is working towards a unified licencing regime, envisaging what Currier was referring to, he said that it would be better for the country if the policy decisions were taken quickly.
Loral Skynet has built a global network that offers a broad array of solutions to meet communications needs, combining the power of geo-synchronous satellites positioned in space with high-speed terrestrial fiber on earth. By using broadcast technology, Skynet seamlessly transports high-quality data, voice and video content for television programming, telephony, business communications, high-quality audio, broadband, and
Internet connectivity.
According to Currier, if one licence allowed a platform/service provider to extend a host of services, including DTH, then various combinations could be offered to consumers, which would make for viable business propositions too.
While accepting that Loral had abandoned its active role in the DTH arena in India, which was evident in the mid to late 1990s, Currier said that Skynet’s Bangalore sales office is on the lookout for business opportunities here.
“We do have a small team here offering various Internet-led products at the moment,” Currier said. But he admitted that business has been slow to come by in India.
Loral Skynet’s advantages are that it positions itself as a one-vendor solution provider from space-segment purchase to network configuration to equipment installation to ongoing maintenance.
Having a global presence, Skynet can deliver data, voice and video anywhere in the world over an infrastructure that combines a satellite fleet, VSAT networks and fiber connectivity.