Pilot projects like Google’s ‘Loon’ will help formulate policies in the future, Minister for Communications and Information Technology, Ravi Shankar Prasad said here on Wednesday.
Speaking at the National Seminar on Spectrum Management, he asked industry associations to provide feedback for policies on new innovations and technology.
“Google came with ‘Project Loon’ and Microsoft is exploring with ‘White Space’. All the new technologies must be given opportunity for experimentation,” the Telecom Minister said.
“We need to have proper feedback for policies. What is the challenge staring at us in the coming years? That should be the focus…technology is overtaking us and we must understand that,” he added.
Involving BSNL
The Minister was keen on going ahead with ‘Loon’ after meeting Google CEO Sundar Pichai last month, when Prasad also asked him to involve BSNL in the project.
“For Loon, in principle, we have agreed for a final project in partnership with BSNL. Certain issues of security, etc, and harmony with the department of Civil Aviation have to be done,” Prasad had said at that time.