Will consider all stakeholders views on satellite spectrum: Trai chairman | News

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On Tuesday, Bharti Enterprises chairman Sunil Bharti Mittal said the government should ensure all satellite communication providers abide by the same legal conditions as traditional telecom operators, including paying licence fees and buying spectrum. Meanwhile, Reliance Jio has urged TRAI to release a revised paper on spectrum allocation for satellite communication, alleging that the current paper ignores the key issue of ensuring a level playing field between satellite and terrestrial services, and opposing the government’s recommendation on allocating satellite broadband spectrum.

Mittal’s latest comments initially triggered a debate on whether he was suggesting satellite spectrum should be auctioned by the government, similar to terrestrial spectrum. So far, Reliance Jio has championed the auction of satellite spectrum, while Bharti Airtel has opposed it. However, in a statement later on Tuesday, Airtel said the company remains consistent in its position that satellite spectrum should be allocated.

“Airtel has always maintained that it will use all technologies, including satcom, to ensure that every nook and corner of the country is covered with high-speed broadband connectivity. This position remains consistent. Even six months ago, Airtel had written a letter to the Department of Technology,” Airtel said in a statement. In that letter, Airtel had supported the government’s move to include satcom within the ambit of the Telecommunications Act, 2023, while assigning spectrum for satellite communication (SATCOM) on an administrative basis.

Arguing that the government should ensure a level playing field between traditional telecom companies and satellite communication providers, Mittal said those satellite companies with ambitions to enter urban areas serving “elite, retail customers” need to take a telecom licence like everyone else. He may have been referring to foreign entities such as Starlink and Project Kuiper, which are currently seeking to enter the Indian market.

Consultation Paper

Released last month, TRAI’s consultation paper suggested that satellite spectrum charges be tied to Adjusted Gross Revenue (AGR), ensuring the spectrum charges are commensurate with the operator’s financial performance. “This provides for a flexible financial burden that aligns with the operator’s capacity to pay,” it said. The consultation paper seeks to clarify the methodology for allocation, the frequencies to be used, the pricing of spectrum, and the terms and conditions to be met by satellite operators with regard to national security.

TRAI has suggested that the pricing exercise for the C, Ku, and Ka bands be distinct, taking into account the specific characteristics of spectrum utilisation for satellite-based communication services. TRAI has sought comments on which frequency bands should be considered for assignment to Non-Geostationary Orbit (NGSO)-based Fixed Satellite Services for providing data communication and Internet service. It has also asked which frequency bands should be considered for assignment to Geostationary Orbit (GSO) and NGSO-based Mobile Satellite Services for providing voice, text, data, and Internet service.

First Published: Oct 16 2024 | 2:01 PM IST