Context:
World’s First Orbiter that allows Smartphones to make direct Satellite Calls.
Chinese Satellite Communication Technology (SCT):
- World’s first satellite series (Tiantong-1) – Capable of enabling smartphone calls without the need for ground-based infrastructure such as Base Transceiver Station (BTSs) or cellular towers.
- Tiantong-1 series of satellites –
- Consist of 3 satellites
- Placed in geosynchronous orbit at an altitude of ~36000 km
- Covers entire Asia-Pacific region from the Middle East to the Pacific Ocean.
Geosynchronous orbit is a special position high above the Earth that allows an object to keep pace with the rotation our planet.
Satellite Communication Technology in India:
- Under Telecommunications Act, 2023 satellite communication companies can get spectrum without auction for point-to-point communications.
- Department of Telecommunication (DoT) issues Global Mobile Personal Communications by Satellite (GMPCS) Licenses for satellite telephony.
- Earlier, Bharati Group and Reliance Group have been issued GMPCS license.
In Sep 2023, Huawei Technologies released the world’s first smartphone that supported satellite calls, by directly connecting to the Tiantong satellites.
Source: Times of India
Previous Year Question
Consider the following communication technologies:
1. Closed-circuit Television
2. Radio Frequency Identification
3. Wireless Local Area Network
Which of the above are considered Short-Range devices/technologies?
[UPSC Civil Services Exam – 2022 Prelims]
(a) 1 and 2 only
(b) 2 and 3 only
(c) 1 and 3 only
(d) 1, 2 and 3
Answer: (d)
