Satellite company and broadband company Intelsat announced on Thursday, August 25, the start of Intelsat’s in-flight connectivity services in Indian skies through an agreement with Tata Group satellite services company Nelco.
As part of the collaboration, Intelsat airline partners and travelers will enjoy end-to-end broadband coverage on domestic and international aircraft flying to and from an Indian airport as well as on aircraft flying over the country.
“In addition to expanding our service coverage area for current airline customers, our agreement with Nelco opens up the possibility for Intelsat to serve India’s national airlines. This is a rapidly growing airline market, and there is considerable untapped potential for IFC to grow.
Jeff Sare, President of Commercial Aviation, Intelsat
Nelco has a license to provide in-flight telecommunications services in India. Nelco, part of the $128 billion Tata Group, is one of India’s leading satellite communications service providers, providing highly reliable data connectivity solutions across the country for Enterprise, Aero IFC and Maritime sectors.
“As the leading Satcom service provider in India offering best in class services, we are now creating a great opportunity through this relationship with Intelsat for the growth of our Aero IFC services in the country in the coming years and we have intends to be a leader in this market in India.
PJ Nath, Managing Director and CEO, Nelco
Nelco has offered Aero IFC services for over two years and plans to introduce these services to more airlines in conjunction with its global partners. Nelco will provide in-flight services using Intelsat’s IS-33e broadband satellite.
The IS-33e was launched in 2016 and provides C-band and Ku-band connectivity to parts of Asia, Europe, Africa and the Middle East. Indian government regulators approve Intelsat’s IS-33e satellite, the statement said.
READ ALSO – IndJets receives permission to provide in-flight internet connectivity
Intelsat joins companies such as IndJets, Reliance Jio, Bharti Airtel and Vodafone Idea which have received approval from the Indian government to offer internet services on board flights. IndJets is a strategic partner of UK satellite operators Inmarsat and BSNL.
Nelco shares 10% on the pact with Intelsat
Shares of Nelco were stuck at the upper circuit of 10% at INR 856.65 on BSE on Friday August 26 after the company partnered with Intelsat to offer in-flight connectivity in India.
As of 09:18, a total of 136,000 shares had changed hands and there are pending buy orders for approximately 150,000 shares on the NSE and BSE. The stock hit a 52-week high of INR 968.55 on October 19, 2021.
In the current week, Nelco’s market price has appreciated 28%, against a 1.6% drop in the S&P BSE Sensex. Over the past three months, it has rebounded 52%, versus a 10% rise in the benchmark.
