Satcom Spectrum News Today

Elon Musks visit to India involves discussions on Tesla and Starlink. The competition in Indias satcom sector includes major players like Mukesh Ambanis Reliance Jio, Luxembourgs SES, and Amazons Project Kuiper. The space economy in India shows significant growth potential. Approvals to Elon Musk-owned Starlink for starting satcom services in India are stuck with the communications ministry seeking clarity from the Department for Promotion of Industry & Internal Trade (DPIIT) about mandator...

Airtel and Jio stand sharply divided on various issues related to satcom and have battled each other over complexities that surround satcom. The rivalry between the two biggies, with other satcom players also divided sharply, continues. A few days ago, they locked horns over the usage and price of satcom.

Trai: Lately, the allocation of airwaves to satellite players has become one of the contentious issues with the former seeking administrative allocation while terrestrial network operators arguing for an auction route citing level-playing field.

Satcom Spectrum: "In response to media reports around seeking the flexible usage of satellite spectrum, on the onset, ISpA would like to state that this submission seems to be an effort to mislead and derail the spectrum allocation process for preferred launch of SatCom services," ISpA Director General Lt Gen A K Bhatt (retd) told PTI.

Reliance Jio: Further, he said the top court had held that spectrum can only be “alienated” by auction. “Nothing in the court’s reasoning indicates that this conclusion would not only apply to alienation of spectrum for the purpose of satellite-based communication services,” Radhakrishnan said in his legal opinion sought by Jio, a copy of which has been seen by ET.

Telecom Regulatory Authority Of India: Given the fact that satellite spectrum is a shared resource, the regulator is looking at the option of non-exclusive assignment of spectrum in case it decides to go ahead with the auction model. However, charting out modalities for such a model looks difficult, said officials.

The Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (Trai) is analysing three to four auction models for satellite spectrum, including the ones proposed by Elon Musk-owned Starlink and Reliance Jio. As per officials, the regulator will see what could be the best way to allocate spectrum - auction or administrative - after seeing a result of the auction analysis.

If an auction model does not hurt the satellite industry, then Trai may suggest that satcom spectrum be sold to the highest bidder, they said. But the regulator would not recommend an auction if it concludes that it would hurt the satellite and broadcasting industries, the officials added.

Global satellite player OneWeb -- backed by the UK government and India’s Bharti Group -- has supported the view, and stressed that spectrum policy needs to embrace the principle of right rule for the right service. “This approach recognises the unique attributes, societal contributions and technical requirements of different services and enables a more balanced, fair, and forward-looking spectrum management strategy.”

They said that trying to shoehorn the satellite service model into the “same service same rule” narrative is not only misguided but even risks stifling the enormous potential that satellite services hold for achieving digital inclusivity in India.