INSUBCONTINENT EXCLUSIVE:
Representative image: Shutterstock3 min read Last Updated : Oct 16 2024 | 2:01 PM IST
The Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI)
will consider all stakeholder comments on satellite spectrum but is not looking to retract the existing consultation paper it issued on the
subject, chairman Anil Kumar Lahoti said on Wednesday.
Lahoti was speaking to reporters on the sidelines of the ongoing India Mobile
Congress (IMC) a day after the debate on whether satellite spectrum should be auctioned was rekindled
"We are receiving multiple views, suggestions, and inputs as part of the consultation process
It is common for TRAI to receive these and then take a considered view
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
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
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 PMIST
