Bharat Sanchar Nigam Limited (BSNL), India's state-owned telecommunications giant, has joined forces with global satellite communications leader Viasat to modernise the Indian Navy's satellite infrastructure. The partnership, announced on 16 January 2026, aims to bolster the Navy's communication capabilities amid rising demands for secure and resilient connectivity at sea.

Under a formal agreement signed between BSNL and the Indian Defence Forces, the Indian Navy will integrate Viasat's advanced Ka-band satellite systems with its existing L-band setup. This hybrid approach promises enhanced performance for naval platforms, including ships, submarines, and aircraft, ensuring seamless operations in diverse maritime environments.

The upgrade marks a strategic shift towards a multi-band, multi-constellation satellite communications framework. By harnessing BSNL's gateway earth stations and Viasat's extensive global satellite network, the initiative will deliver expanded coverage across the Indian Ocean region and beyond, critical for safeguarding national interests.

Viasat emphasises that the combination of L-band's proven resilience—ideal for challenging weather and motion scenarios—and Ka-band's high-throughput capacity will revolutionise mission-critical operations. This synergy addresses longstanding limitations in bandwidth and data speeds, enabling real-time intelligence sharing, command-and-control functions, and tactical data links.

Todd McDonell, President of Viasat’s international government segment, highlighted the transformative potential of this upgrade. He noted that it "combines the resilience of L-band with the power of high-throughput Ka-band, providing enhanced connectivity for mission-critical operations," underscoring its relevance to modern naval warfare.

Gautam Sharma, Managing Director of Viasat India, confirmed that equipment for the project has already arrived in the country. Installation activities are scheduled to commence this month, signalling rapid progress towards operationalising the enhanced network.

This collaboration aligns with India's broader push for indigenous defence capabilities and self-reliance under the Atmanirbhar Bharat initiative. BSNL's involvement leverages its domestic infrastructure expertise, reducing dependency on foreign gateways while integrating cutting-edge international technology.

For the Indian Navy, the upgrade arrives at a pivotal moment. With escalating geopolitical tensions in the Indo-Pacific, particularly along contested sea lanes, robust satellite communications are indispensable for maintaining maritime domain awareness, coordinating fleet movements, and deterring adversaries.

Ka-band technology, operating in the 26.5-40 GHz frequency range, offers significantly higher data rates—up to gigabits per second—compared to L-band's lower frequencies around 1-2 GHz. However, it demands precise pointing accuracy and is more susceptible to rain fade, which the multi-band strategy mitigates through intelligent band-switching.

Viasat's global network, comprising high-capacity satellites like ViaSat-3, provides the backbone for this expansion. These platforms support beyond-line-of-sight (BLOS) communications, vital for blue-water operations extending from the Arabian Sea to the South China Sea.

BSNL's role extends beyond mere hosting; its earth stations will serve as primary hubs for traffic management and signal processing. This setup enhances national sovereignty over communications, minimising latency and ensuring compliance with stringent security protocols mandated by the Defence Ministry.

The project also holds implications for interoperability with allied forces. As India deepens defence ties through Quad partnerships and bilateral agreements, compatible satcom standards will facilitate joint exercises and humanitarian missions, such as those under the Indo-Pacific Maritime Initiative.

Installation timelines suggest initial capabilities could be online by mid-2026, with full multi-band integration following rigorous testing. The Navy's existing L-band assets, likely including Inmarsat or similar systems, will remain operational as a fall-back, ensuring zero downtime during the transition.

Economically, the deal boosts local industry. Viasat's commitment to in-country equipment delivery supports job creation in installation, maintenance, and training, while BSNL gains expertise in military-grade SATCOM, potentially opening doors to Army and Air Force contracts.

Challenges ahead include spectrum allocation and cyber-hardening the network against electronic warfare threats. The Defence Electronics Research Laboratory (DLRL) and other DRDO entities may contribute indigenous encryption modules to fortify the system.

Looking further, this upgrade positions the Indian Navy for future technologies like low-Earth orbit (LEO) constellations, akin to Starlink or OneWeb trials underway domestically. It complements ISRO's GSAT series, paving the way for a fully sovereign multi-orbit architecture.

The BSNL-Viasat partnership represents a leap forward in India's naval communications, blending resilience, speed, and strategic autonomy to meet 21st-century maritime challenges head-on.

Agencies