Hughes Communications India Limited (HCIL) has been selected to provide a high-performance satellite broadband system for India’s naval communication network (NCN). Sterlite Tech chose the Hughes system to deliver C-band and Ku-band satellite services as part of its hybrid internet protocol – multi protocol label switching (IP-MPLS) network. Under the year-long contract worth Rs 1 billion, HCIL will supplythe solution to power broadband satellite services across the Navy’s mainland and island sites.

Commenting on this development, KS Rao, CEO – telecom services business, Sterlite Tech, said, “With Hughes’s advanced and globally used satellite systems, we will bring in ease of network management through seamless connectivity even in tough and remote island terrains for the Indian Navy. We are happy to work with Hughes to execute this project boosting national security.”

Meanwhile, Shivaji Chatterjee, senior vice president and head of enterprise business, HCIL, said, “We are proud to have been awarded this critical communications infrastructure project by Sterlite Tech. A testament to our in-country record of delivering leading technology solutions, this project will support homeland security for the country, and our Navy will benefit from an improved voice, video and data experience across fixed and mobile sites.”

The Hughes satellite network will power primary service for the Navy’s island locations as well as auxiliary service for its mainland sites. Designed and optimised for carrier-grade IP broadband networking and specialised applications, the Hughes ground system scales from hundreds to thousands of high-performance remote terminals.

Designed, built and managed by Sterlite Tech, the systems integrator for the Navy’s digital network, the NCN is part of the network for spectrum (NFS) project. NFS is a strategic project rolled out for Ministry of Defence users to facilitate the growth of national teledensity and ensure availability of a robust, state-of-the-art communication infrastructure for Indian armed forces. The NFS project was envisaged to boost the communication capabilities of Indian armed forces and enhance national operational preparedness.