The ISpA was responding to communications minister Jyotiraditya Scindia latest statement that spectrum for satellite services will be allocated administratively though at a cost to be decided by the regulator, Trai.
“The telecom minister’s statement on allocation of spectrum for satellite communications is unequivocal and clear, and in step, with the government’s intent defined in the Telecommunications Act, 2023, which has laid down assignment of satellite spectrum by administrative method, which is also the globally harmonised practice of using shared spectrum,” Anil Bhatt, ISpA director-general said.
He added that the satellite industry is now awaiting final allocation of space spectrum after Trai submits its recommendations to the telecom department on the pricing methodology and terms and conditions of allocating satcom spectrum to companies keen to operate in India.
ISpA’s comments come even as US billionaire Elon Musk has made his intentions clear of planning to compete and offer internet services in India through Starlink, setting the stage for a fierce clash with India’s top telcos including Mukesh Ambani-owned Reliance Jio and Sunil Mittal-headed Bharti Airtel.
Mittal-led Airtel, though, has clarified that it’s recommending allocation of satellite spectrum via auctions only to companies planning to launch satellite internet services in urban markets, but continues to recommend the administrative route of allocation for satellite broadband services in remote, mountainous regions, or some 5% of India.Meanwhile, even as Starlink’s direct-to-cell technology is making waves in the global telecoms space, another global satellite biggie Viasat demonstrated its own direct-to-device satellite connectivity technology with state-run Bharat Sanchar Nigam (BSNL) at IMC-2024.“Working with BSNL, Viasat engineers successfully showcased satellite-powered two-way messaging services…the technology means devices can stay connected from any location, and its deployment will be a gamechanger for consumers and industrial IoT, reducing the barrier to digital transformation,” Viasat said in an official statement.
During the trial, Viasat demonstrated two-way messaging and SoS messaging using a commercial Android smartphone enabled for non-terrestrial network (NTN) connectivity. The messages were sent roughly 36,000km to one of Viasat’s geostationary L-band satellites, the US satellite company added.
