Government to Establish Equitable Environment for Telecom Operators in Satellite Communication Spectrum
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New Delhi, Dec 4 (NationPress) The Centre declared on Wednesday its commitment to establishing a fair playing field for telecom service providers in the allocation of spectrum for satellite communications.
Dr. Chandra Sekhar Pemmasani, the Minister of State for Communications, mentioned that the Department of Telecom (DoT) has requested guidance from the Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI) regarding the terms and conditions related to the allocation of satellite-based spectrum.
"The DoT issues authorizations under the Unified License for enabling satellite-based commercial communication services. Licenses for satellite communication are available to any applicant, contingent upon their acceptance and adherence to the relevant licensing terms and conditions, which include security regulations of India," he stated.
The government has opted to distribute spectrum for satellite communication services through an administrative mechanism, whereas telecom operators must acquire radio frequencies via auctions.
"The DoT has solicited TRAI's recommendations on the terms and conditions for spectrum allocation, including pricing, for licensees wishing to offer satellite-based communication services while ensuring a level playing field with terrestrial access services," Pemmasani noted.
TRAI is currently in the process of finalizing its recommendations regarding the allocation of satellite spectrum.
In October, the government indicated that spectrum for satellite broadband would be allocated through administrative means rather than an auction, following comments from SpaceX CEO Elon Musk, who referred to the auction approach being pursued by leading industrialists in the country as "unprecedented".
During a press conference at the 'India Mobile Congress 2024', Communications Minister Jyotiraditya Scindia affirmed that spectrum for satellite services would be allocated through administrative processes.
"A document has already been distributed by TRAI, and this regulatory authority has been granted the constitutional power to determine the administrative pricing," he explained.
"I am quite confident that they will establish the most suitable prices to be adopted, provided they are based on administrative demand," the minister added.
