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Tag: Satcom Spectrum

  • Centre Plans to Launch Satellite Communication (Satcom) Services in India by January 2026

    According to reports, the government is eager to introduce satellite communication (satcom) services by January 2026. The Digital Communication Commission (DCC, formerly known as the telecom commission), the highest decision-making body of the telecom department (DoT), is scheduled to meet shortly to discuss the country’s satcom rollout, according to sources cited by The Hindu Businessline.

    According to a senior government official, the administration hopes to roll out services (satcom) in December or January since that is when the final spectrum pricing decision will be made. According to reports, the DCC, which is chaired by the telecom secretary, was supposed to make a decision by July of this year regarding the pricing and distribution of satcom spectrum.

     The conference was postponed, though, and a new date is currently being decided. In addition to establishing rules and licences for satellite earth station gateways, which link satellite networks with terrestrial ones, the DCC will lay out the pertinent policies for satcom services.

    Commenting on the move, Amit Mahajan, Director, Paras Defence & Space Technologies stated, “The Government’s plan to launch Satellite Communication (Satcom) services in India by January 2026 marks a defining moment in our digital and industrial future. Reliable, secure, and high-capacity Satcom will not only transform connectivity in remote and underserved regions but also reshape how enterprises operate across sectors such as logistics, energy, financial services, and manufacturing. For industries advancing towards automation, Industry 4.0, and real-time data exchange, communication infrastructure forms the backbone. Satcom has the potential to bridge gaps where terrestrial networks cannot reach—enabling resilient supply chains, smarter mobility, and more efficient governance systems.”

    New Satcom Rules Yet to be Finalised

    The Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI) suggested in May that satcom operators be given administrative spectrum assignments for a duration of five years, with the possibility of an additional two-year extension, even though satcom regulations have not yet been approved.

    With a minimum yearly spectrum fee of INR 3,500 per MHz, TRAI also recommended pricing the spectrum at 4% of the operators’ adjusted gross revenue (AGR). Government dues from telecom providers are calculated using a certain revenue computation called AGR. Additionally, the regulator proposed charging NGSO-based operators an extra INR 500 annually for each urban user. However, rural areas will not be subject to this fee.

    TRAI further demanded that all permitted organisations sharing spectrum coordinate in good faith. It recommended that the Centre look into user terminal subsidies in underserved areas and establish a 30-day window for spectrum assignment following an operator’s in-principle clearance.

    DoT Wants Satcom Tenure to be Less Than 5 Years

    According to reports, the DoT wants the satcom spectrum tenure to be kept under five years in case a new technology emerges. Such controversial topics are anticipated to be discussed at the next DCC meeting. Some of the largest corporations, both local and foreign, are rushing to obtain satcom licences in the nation in the meanwhile.

    Elon Musk’s Starlink, Jio-SES, and Eutelstat OneWeb, supported by Bharti Enterprises, have been given preliminary permissions to operate in the nation, while Amazon’s Project Kuiper and Apple partner Globalstar have applied for licences.

    Quick
    Shots

    •The Digital Communication Commission
    (DCC), chaired by the telecom secretary, to finalize spectrum pricing &
    policy.

    •Rollout expected in Dec 2025–Jan
    2026, pending spectrum pricing decisions.

    •DCC to decide on rules, licences, and
    earth station gateway regulations for satcom connectivity.

    •Administrative spectrum assignments
    for 5 years (+2-year extension).

  • Starlink & Amazon Strike First Satellite Broadband Deals in India Ahead of Spectrum Showdown

    According to a media report, US satellite companies Starlink and Amazon Kuiper have inked their first commercial agreements with VSAT providers in India.

    This step marks a significant step towards the establishment of government and business satellite broadband services before satellite spectrum is formally allotted.

    Through these collaborations, the low-Earth orbit (LEO) satellite broadband companies hope to make money from their products in the business-to-business (B2B) and business-to-government (B2G) markets. At the same time, they are getting ready to cater to the retail consumer market, whose price structures are still being decided.

    According to the media source, Amazon and Starlink have been attempting to establish collaborations in India. With an emphasis on the B2B and B2G markets, they have already found a few VSAT partners in India and are actively seeking more. They aim to make the best use of their India potential. Hughes Communications, Nelco, and Inmarsat are a few of the major VSAT providers in India.

    Eutelsat OneWeb will use a sell-through strategy through Indian partners, and both Starlink and Amazon Kuiper want to compete directly with it in both the enterprise and retail sectors.

    Hybrid Model go to Market for India

    According to a media report, Kuiper and Starlink are pursuing a hybrid go-to-market strategy in India. In addition to providing services directly, they are forming alliances to market through other partners.

    For example, Starlink has previously established a sell-through model collaboration with Reliance Jio and Airtel. According to the report, Starlink would soon start providing connections to customers directly through its website.

    In the same way, Kuiper will not depend on a single master distributor or handle everything on their own. This strategy was chosen because India is a adverse and new market.

    Bank branches, ATMs, remote petrol stations, warehouses, retail chains, cellular backhaul, maritime and in-flight connectivity, and defence infrastructure are among the common applications for VSAT service providers, all of which stand to gain from higher-bandwidth LEO-based upgrades.

    In terms of regulatory advancement, these changes put Starlink on par with Jio Satellite and Eutelsat OneWeb. Last month, it was granted a Global Mobile Personal Communications by Satellite (GMPCS) licence, making it the third business in India permitted to provide commercial satcom services.

    Although Starlink currently has a GMPCS permit, it has not yet received its IN-SPACe approval. According to a media report, Starlink has received a draft agreement from the Indian space regulator that is anticipated to be signed shortly.

    Additionally, Starlink will receive trial spectrum from the Department of Telecommunications (DoT) in exchange for completing security compliance demonstrations.

    Jyotiraditya Scindia, the minister of communications, met with senior executives from SpaceX, the parent firm of Starlink, a few days ago to explore joint venture possibilities for using satellite technology to fuel India’s digital infrastructure.

    Amazon Kuiper is now pending IN-SPACe and GMPCS certifications. The business has finished all necessary operational and security audits, and the next meeting of the interministerial standing committee is probably when its application will be examined.

  • TRAI Turns Down COAI’s Plea to Revisit Satcom Spectrum Recommendations

    According to reports, TRAI turned down the COAI’s request to examine its suggestions for satcom spectrum. Following a thorough and open consultation process, the Centre has received recommendations pertaining to spectrum.

    Telecom companies disregarded TRAI’s suggestion earlier this month that satellite spectrum be billed at 4% of AGR. According to reports, the Cellular Operators Association of India (COAI) asked the Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI) to review its satcom spectrum proposals, but the TRAI denied the request, stating that the consultation process was comprehensive and open.

    According to a media report that cited sources, the Centre received the spectrum recommendations following a thorough and open consultation procedure. All stakeholders had plenty of opportunity to voice their opinions throughout the consultation.

    The TRAI’s recommendation that satellite spectrum be priced at 4% of adjusted gross revenue (AGR) was apparently disregarded by major telecom companies just days prior. The TRAI’s spectrum pricing action was seen by the telcos to be unjustly cheap and predicated on false assumptions.

    TRAI Not Providing Level-Playing Field: COAI

    A few days ago, the COAI, which is made up of Bharti Airtel, Reliance Jio, and Vodafone Idea (Vi), wrote to DoT Secretary Neeraj Mittal to argue that TRAI’s recommendations do not provide equal opportunities for satellite operators and conventional terrestrial service providers.

    The TRAI’s pricing change, according to telecom businesses, would unfairly benefit satellite providers while jeopardising the viability of conventional terrestrial services.

    Satellite firms contend that the regulator’s plan for differential pricing for satellite spectrum is meant to equalise the playing field between satcom and terrestrial broadband providers, refuting telecom companies’ assertions to the contrary.

    They view higher spectrum fees and varying pricing for urban and rural areas as ways to establish competitive parity.

    Because of the capacity and latency benefits of satellite services, satcom providers see the regulator’s actions as a means of ensuring competitive fairness between satellite and terrestrial services, according to media sources.

    TRAI’s Response

    The TRAI responded that its recommendations were the outcome of a comprehensive consultation process that incorporated input from a diverse array of industry actors, such as satellite operators, telecommunications service providers, and other stakeholders.

    The agency claimed that by increasing connectivity alternatives, their strategy will eventually benefit consumers by promoting innovation and competition. Given the ongoing evolution of satellite communication, the ruling is anticipated to have a substantial impact on India’s telecom environment.

    Terrestrial network providers are expected to keep pushing for regulations that safeguard their market position, even though satellite operators may appreciate TRAI’s clarity.

    All eyes will be on the sector as it navigates these changes to see how India’s quickly changing digital economy maintains a balance between innovation, competition, and fair market practices.

  • Satcom Spectrum will be Distributed in an Administrative Manner: Scindia

    On October 15, Jyotiraditya Scindia, Minister of Communications of India, made clear the government’s position on the satellite spectrum issue. According to him, spectrum would be distributed administratively rather than through auction, and service providers would be responsible for a fee.

    In response to a query at a media briefing at India Mobile Congress, Scindia stated that satellite spectrum will be distributed administratively as per the very clear allocation stated in Schedule 1 of the Telecom Act 2023, which was passed in December of last year.

    However, Scindia made it clear that radiowaves, even if allocated for satellite-based communications services without an auction, will still incur costs. However, this does not imply that spectrum is free. Trai will determine that cost and its methodology, he reiterated.

    “The constitution gives our regulating body for telecommunications the authority to decide what the administrative pricing will be. Scindia continued, “I have no doubts that they will determine the appropriate plan of action as long as they handle the pricing administratively.”

    This essentially means that the request to auction off satellite airwaves by Reliance Jio, Bharti Airtel, and other service providers remains unfulfilled. Scindia made these remarks just hours after Reliance Jio and Sunil Bharti Mittal, the founder and chairman of Bharti Airtel, joined forces to demand the distribution of satellite service spectrum in a manner similar to that of telecom companies.

    Airtel and Jio Worries

    To ensure level competition, both telecom companies have pursued a transparent and equitable auction procedure for satellite services. Jio has demanded that the way that Indian satellite communication firms are allotted spectrum be changed. Jio expressed concerns about fair competition with established cellular providers and asked for a reexamination of the current proposal in a letter dated October 10 to Telecom Minister Jyotiraditya Scindia.

    In direct competition with land-based mobile networks, Elon Musk‘s Starlink, Amazon’s Kupier, OneWeb Eutelsat, funded by Bharti Group, and the SES-Jio joint venture have all indicated interest in offering their services in India.

    Jio underlined that, like traditional telecom operators, satellite businesses like Starlink and Amazon’s Kuiper should purchase spectrum through an open auction procedure and pay license rates that are comparable to those of current telecom providers. At the India Mobile Congress, Sunil Mittal, the chairman of Bharti Airtel, reiterated this idea by saying that satellite companies providing services in cities have to take part in spectrum auctions. In addition, Airtel restated its position and released a letter it sent in March to the telecom department.

    Musk Describes the Sale as “Unprecedented”

    Musk responded on October 14 to Reliance Jio’s alleged action urging the government to hold a transparent auction of satellite airwaves. According to Musk, that would be exceptional because the ITU (International Telecommunication Union) has long defined this wavelength as a shared spectrum for satellites. Similar remarks were made by Scindia, who stated that satellite spectrum is administratively distributed worldwide.

    “India is acting in the same manner as the rest of the globe. On the other hand, if you choose to auction, you are acting in a way that sets you apart from the rest of the world,” he opined.

    BSNL to Launch 5G Services by June 2025: Scindia
    BSNL will roll out 4G by May 2024 and transition to 5G by June 2025, according to Telecom Minister Jyotiraditya Scindia. India aims to lead in 6G technology globally.
    StartupTalkyNitin Konde