E-band, satcom to be used for digital inclusion in remote areas: Chauhan

New Delhi: With digital inclusion agenda at the heart of financial inclusion and economic development, the government will allow use of E-band spectrum and satellite communications for connecting rural and remote areas, minister of state for telecom Devusinh Chauhan said at a global event on Tuesday. While speaking at the opening ceremony of the World Summit of Information Society (WSIS) 2022 at Geneva, Chauhan said that the government is creating open public digital platforms for inclusive development, like the universal payments system which any bank can join.

“Given the difficulty in laying optical fibre networks in hilly and mountainous terrains, our focus is on the use of technologies that can accelerate development and bridge this divide, like using E-band wireless carriers, LEO and MEO satellite connectivity, among others. We have issued the first service licence for LEO/MEO connectivity and hope to harness the technology to enable digital inclusion in remote areas,” Chauhan said.