TRAI To ‘Soon’ Release Recommendations For Satcom Spectrum Allocation

The Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI) chairman Anil Kumar Lahoti has reportedly said that the telecom watchdog will release recommendations “very soon” for spectrum assignment and pricing for satellite-based communication services.

Speaking at an event on National Consumer Day on Wednesday (December 24), Lahoti said that the discussions are underway for satellite spectrum pricing mechanism and other modalities, CNBC Awaaz reported.

Once the telecom watchdog releases its recommendations, the Centre will examine them and take a final call on allocating spectrum to satellite communications companies, which will pave the way for satellite-based broadband services in India.

It was reported last month that TRAI would issue its recommendations on satcom spectrum allocation in December.

The reports came against the backdrop of an intensifying battle between global satellite communication firms Elon Musk’s Starlink, Jeff Bezos-owned Amazon Kuiper and India’s top three telcos Reliance Jio, Bharti Airtel and Vodafone Idea over the route for spectrum allocation and its pricing.

Indian telcos like Reliance Jio and Vodafone Idea have advocated for auctioning satellite spectrum, arguing that auctions would ensure a level playing field between satellite and terrestrial networks and prevent foreign dominance in the satellite broadband market.

On the other hand, Starlink and Amazon Kuiper have called for spectrum allocation via the administrative route, contending that satcom airwaves are a shared source, and therefore, cannot be auctioned.

Moreover, service providers have been at loggerheads over licensing norms for satellite earth station gateways (SESG).

According to reports, Amazon’s Kuiper, Canada’s Telesat and Tata’s Nelco have expressed interest in a separate authorisation regime for SESG, while Bharti Group-backed Eutelsat OneWeb and Apple partner Globalstar have said that it does not require any separate licensing.

SESGs are ground stations that facilitate data transmission between local networks.

In October, communications minister Jyotiraditya Scindia said that spectrum for satellite services would be allocated administratively but at a “cost”.

It is pertinent to note that Starlink and Amazon Kuiper have yet to secure a global mobile personal communication by satellite services (GMPCS) licence, a prerequisite for offering satcom services in India. 

So far, only Bharti-backed Eutelsat Oneweb and Reliance Jio’s joint venture with Luxembourg-based satellite provider SES have received permits to start satellite communications services in the country.

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