V-SAT (Very Small Aperture Terminal) Stations

• Context (TH): The Ministry of Tribal Affairs is partnering with ISRO for a pilot project, deploying V-SAT (Very Small Aperture Terminal) stations in approximately 80 tribal villages across Jharkhand, Madhya Pradesh, Odisha, and Maharashtra.
• This initiative aims to provide internet services to these tribal areas.

V-SAT (Very Small Aperture Terminal) stations

• It is a two-way satellite ground station enabling communication for voice, data, and video signals.
• VSATs handle both narrowband data and broadband data.
  • Narrowband data: Credit card transactions, polling, RFID data, or SCADA
  • Broadband data: Satellite Internet access, VoIP, or video.
• They find use in providing connectivity to remote locations, supporting transportable or on-the-move communications and enabling mobile maritime communication.

How does VSAT work?

• VSAT operates with a transceiver and an indoor device.
• A user’s computer connects to an outdoor antenna via a indoor device (box).
• The transceiver in the antenna sends and receives signals to and from a satellite transponder through a hub station on Earth.
• All transmissions pass through the hub station before being retransmitted via the satellite to reach the end user’s VSAT.

Advantages

• VSAT is cost-effective, lightweight, and operates with low transmission power.
• It utilizes satellite signals, eliminating the need for physical links like Ethernet cables, reducing structural risks.
• VSAT serves as a backup for wired networks during failures and functions independently for local telecommunication networks.
• It can be easily installed in remote locations with minimal infrastructure needs, redirecting satellite signals through a central hub to various locations.

Disadvantages

• VSATs suffer from latency due to the time delay in signals traveling between space and the ground, especially noticeable in two-way communication.
• Weather conditions and obstructions like buildings or trees can cause signal distortion between the satellite and earth station.

Other steps taken for the development of Tribal communities The Ministry of Tribal Affairs is partnering with AIIMS Delhi for advanced research on Sickle Cell Anemia. Additionally, plans involve organizing training programs for medical staff in tribal areas and establishing a Bhagwan Birsa Munda Chair of Tribal Health and Haematology at AIIMS. There are proposals for a specialized department on Appropriate Technology and Entrepreneurship with IIT Delhi and IIM Kolkata, and collaboration with the Indian Institute of Science in Bengaluru for semiconductor courses for tribal students