Secretary of Department of Telecommunications (DoT) Aruna Sundararajan has said that India will need to have fundamental rethink on satellite communication policy to fulfill growing connectivity demands which are being fuelled by mobile data growth, digital aspirations and advent of new-age technologies. She outlined the rapid growth of mobile data usage, driven by first-time users, and India's rising digital clout, and mentioned that there is no looking back for the country when it comes to strengthening its communications infrastructure.
Sundararajan has stated that in an era of 5G and Internet of Things (IOT), the demand for communication infrastructure far from slowing down, will increase exponentially. She said “we must have digital communications infrastructure that facilitates all this...We really must have a fundamental rethink on India's satcom policy in light of what are the emerging requirements and India's aspirations.” She pointed out that the demand for communication network is also being impelled by financial service industry, digital payment companies, smartphone usage and social media.
The DoT Secretary further said that a new telecom policy -- the National Digital Communications Policy (NDCP) 2018, aims to provide universal broadband connectivity at 50Mbps to every citizen by 2022, create four million additional jobs, and also talks of enhancing the sector’s contribution to the Gross Domestic Product (GDP) to 8 percent from 6 percent in 2017. She said “if we are to achieve robust modern digital communications infrastructure that the country needs...it has estimated the need for investment at $100 billion.” Stating that the country must embark on comprehensive review of its satellite communications policy, she stressed on the need to strike a balance between autonomy, security and the country's communications demand.