India approves procurement for launch services of GSAT-11 at a cost of Rs. 1117 crore.
The Union Cabinet chaired by the Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi has given its approval for the procurement of launch services and realization of ground segment for GSAT-11 spacecraft at a cost of Rs. 1117 crore.
GSAT-11 will be ready for launch by the end of 2016. Considering the 5600 Kg lift-off mass, the satellite will be launched using procured launch vehicle outside the country. The ground segment is being realized to address the rural communication requirements. This will enable early deployment of GSAT-11 so as to augment Ku-band capacity which can be utilized for various services like VSATS, broadband etc.
The ground segment of GSAT-11 will enable the utilisation of a small portion of the bandwidth for societal services apart from providing in orbit testing support. It will also provide a high throughput capacity of about 10 Gbps to render broadband connectivity especially in rural areas.
Background:
GSAT-11, a communication satellite with 32 high-power spot beams for providing high bandwidth VSAT communication is currently under development at DOS/ISRO facilities.
