Satcom Should Complement Terrestrial Networks: MoS Communications

Amid the ongoing controversy around allocation of satcom spectrum, Minister of State (MoS) for communications Chandra Sekhar Pemmasani has now said that satcom should be seen as complementary to terrestrial networks such as 5G and 6G.

As per Economic Times, MoS Pemmasani said that satcom should be leveraged to bridge last-mile connectivity and digital divide in India. 

“5G and the upcoming 6G combined with satcom services (can) connect both the ground and the sky. However, the outcome is not just to compete with terrestrial networks, but to complement them as we integrate the 6G technology and the existing 5G technology into our infrastructure,” Pemmasani reportedly said.

The MoS also called for fostering private and government partnerships to build resilient satcom and terrestrial networks, adding that satcom is a “transformative entity” that can connect every Indian household and village to the internet 

Reiterating the government’s stance, the Minister said that the new Telecom Act supports administrative allocation of spectrum.

Interestingly, the MoS’ comments came on the same day as telecom operator Reliance Jio reportedly forwarded an additional legal opinion from a former Supreme Court (SC) Judge L Nageshwara Rao to the Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI). 

As per reports, Rao opined that the regulator should have also sought comments from stakeholders regarding mode of assignment of satcom bandwidth and how to ensure level-playing field between satcom and terrestrial networks. The retired judge said that TRAI has violated its transparency obligations.by not seeking replies on these aspects.

He even went on to say that TRAI had “completely sidestepped” the issue of level playing field, which, in turn, had deprived the stakeholders an opportunity to provide their comments.

The legal opinion further underscored that the list under Schedule I of the Telecommunications Act, which specifies the networks that can be assigned spectrum administratively, was not “frozen” and can be amended from time to time. 

This comes a month after Reliance Jio, in a letter, urged the regulator TRAI to rescind the recently floated consultation paper on satcom spectrum allocation, saying that the existing paper “overlooks the critical point of ensuring” level-playing field between satellite and terrestrial services.

This followed TRAI, in September, floating a consultation paper to explore the pricing and methodology for assigning spectrum to satcom companies. The paper sought comments on 21 points including methodology for determining spectrum charges, frequency bands for the satellite communications services, duration of assignment, and provision for surrendering spectrum, among others.