Reader TTS

OneWeb satellite service is in the state of readiness and awaiting the government's approval to launch its services, Bharti Chairman Sunil Mittal said on Monday.

OneWeb's two satellite network portals or SNPs are ready, one in the South and another in the North, and the company has done tests in the Himalayas, and deserts to demonstrate proof of

concept to the army, navy and other government agencies.

"It is ready to go now...the satellites are all spinning around India all the time...we are now just waiting for a signal from the DoT to light up those SNPs for commercial service, and it

could be anytime...We have requested the government to accelerate the process because it is much-needed, especially by the government agencies in difficult remote areas," Mittal said, "The

terminals are in India, we are just waiting...there is nothing we can do because we can't light it up other than our test case, which has been approved...we can't go commercial until we have

it (approvals)."

Mittal noted that the telecom department has already sent a reference to regulator Trai to start the consultation.