15th December 2021: Satcom Industry Association (SIA-India) and the IEEE Standards Association (IEEESA) today announced that the two organizations have signed a memorandum of understanding (MOU) to promote, support and enhance all policy, regulatory & standards initiatives for the proliferation of satellite/space communications & activities in India to empower consumers with efficient, ubiquitous and affordable connectivity solutions to in support of the Digital India vision of Government of India.
SIA-India represents satellite operators, satellite systems, launch vehicles and ground and terminal equipment manufacturers as well as application solutions providers to the Government, Regulators, Policymakers, and domestic and international standards bodies. As the apex representative body for the satellite communications ecosystem, SIA-India aims to present the industry’s interest to the highest Government levels for policymaking and regulatory and licensing matters
IEEE is the world’s largest professional organization dedicated to advancing technology for the benefit of humanity, with members in over 160 countries, focusing on advancing the theory and practice of electrical, electronics, computer engineering, computer science, and related technologies. IEEE SA is a collaborative organization where innovators raise the world’s standards for technology. IEEE SA provides a globally open, consensus-building environment and platform that empowers people to work together in the development of leading-edge, market-relevant technology standards, and industry solutions shaping a better, safer, and more sustainable world.
In addition to the foregoing, some of the areas of co-operation envisioned by this MoU between IEEESA and SIA-India are:
· Working on various technical projects of mutual interest for potential collaboration in the standards in the related domains.
· Hold meetings (workshops) on topics of interest, to bring awareness of the Satellite Communications and the benefits in the areas of Rural Communications, Unmanned Aerial communications, Geoscience and Remote Sensing, Social Impact of Satellite Technologies, Antenna & Propagation, Electromagnetic Interferences and related activities.
· SIA-India will share key technical initiatives ongoing within their organization with IEEE and enable IEEE experts to provide feedback and inputs on the programs.
· Mutual promotion of relevant standards programs and events to its membership to encourage active participation.
· To engage in activities to support working on various technical projects of mutual interest for potential collaboration in the development of standards.
Mr. Anil Prakash, Director General, Satcom Industry Association said, “As new advancements in technology take shape and the Indian players take a leading role into all aspects of the space economy, standardization plays an important role in the structured and harmonized growth of the industry. SIA-India is very excited to have the front row seats at this time and at the prospect of getting involved in the standardization process in India, The signing of MoU with IEEE-SA is a significant step in this direction. We look forward to key engagements with IEEE-SA in enhancing the space technology standardization journey.”
“Standardization plays an important role for the dynamics of any market consisting of a mix of technology, policy, and business models,” said Konstantinos Karachalios, Managing Director, IEEE Standards Association (IEEE SA). “The collaboration with SIA-India can empower stakeholders with efficient, ubiquitous and affordable connectivity solutions adhering to the global best practices”, said Dr. Konstantinos Karachalios, Managing Director, IEEE SA.
