NEW DELHI: In a step to boost the commercial use of Indian Space Research Organisation (Isro)-developed regional navigation system or desi GPS, American telecommunication equipment manufacturer Qualcomm has developed a chipset compatible with India's Navigation With Indian Constellation (NaVIC) for its use on mobile and navigation devices. According to the California-headquartered company, mobiles with Qualcomm-developed NaVIC chipset are likely to hit the Indian market next year.
Speaking to TOI, Rajen Vagadia, VP and president, Qualcomm India, said, "We have developed the NaVIC-compatible platform. In fact, we had done a technology demonstration for Isro officials showing how NaVIC signals can be deported on a handset, during an event in Delhi on September 19. At the ongoing India Mobile Congress, we are showing the same demo and the NaVIC-compatible device. We will mass-produce the platform (chipset) in 3 to 4 months in this quarter so that they become available to original equipment manufacturers (mobile and navigation device makers). Once OEMs get our chipset platforms, they are likely to mass-produce their NaVIC-compatible devices by the first half of 2020."
Talking about the joint initiative with Qualcomm, Isro chairman K Sivan said, "NaVIC is a critical step forward in our pursuit of harnessing space technology for national development and we are eager to make it accessible to everyone for their day-to-day use. Isro is happy to work with Qualcomm to enable NavIC on mobile platforms. Qualcomm's technology leadership and support for NavIC on their mobile platforms will bring the benefits of this indigenous solution to every Indian." Sivan had earlier TOI, "that there are eight navigation satellites in orbit. Seven satellites are being used for navigation purpose and one satellite only for messaging purpose. Some apps based on NaVIC are already functional and being immensely used. Soon, we will bring out more NaVIC apps that will benefit the common man."
NavIC or Indian Regional Navigation Satellite System (IRNSS) is capable of providing accurate position information service to users across India and the region extending up to 1,500 km around the country. IRNSS applications are terrestrial, aerial and marine navigation, disaster management, vehicle tracking and fleet management, integration with mobile phones, precise timing, mapping and geodetic data capture, terrestrial navigation aid for hikers and travellers and visual and voice navigation for drivers.
The Qualcomm India president told TOI, "Isro had reached out to industry players a year ago and that was when we decided to support and work together. We have been working with them to make sure we have the right software and hardware support on our platforms so that when the platforms are enabled, NaVIC signals can be deported on devices. This required both hardware and software changes as it was not possible to do the same changes on existing platforms, which are alreRead More – Source
