Will consider views of all stakeholders on satellite spectrum: Trai Chairman

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3 minutes reading Last update: October 16, 2024 | 2:01 p.m. STI

The Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI) will consider all comments from stakeholders on satellite spectrum but does not intend to withdraw the existing consultation document it issued on the issue, 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 over whether satellite spectrum should be auctioned was reignited. “We are receiving various views, suggestions and contributions as part of the consultation process. It is common for TRAI to receive them and then take a considered position. Whatever views TRAI has will be in the public domain,” he emphasized.

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On Tuesday, Bharti Enterprises chairman Sunil Bharti Mittal said the government should ensure that all satellite communications providers comply with the same legal conditions as traditional telecom operators, including paying license fees and spectrum purchase. Meanwhile, Reliance Jio has urged TRAI to release a revised document on spectrum allocation for satellite communications, claiming that the current document ignores the fundamental issue of ensuring a level playing field between terrestrial and satellite services and opposes the recommendation government on the allocation of satellite broadband spectrum. .

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

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

Arguing that the government must ensure a level playing field between traditional telecommunications companies and satellite communications providers, Mittal said satellite companies with ambitions to enter urban areas serving “elite retail customers” need to obtain a license telecommunications like all others. He could be referring to foreign entities like Starlink and Project Kuiper, which are currently looking to enter the Indian market.

Consultation Document

Released last month, TRAI’s consultation paper suggested that satellite spectrum charges be linked to Adjusted Gross Revenue (AGR), ensuring that spectrum charges are commensurate with the operator’s financial performance. “This provides a flexible finance charge that aligns with the operator’s ability to pay,” he said. The consultation document seeks to clarify the allocation methodology, the frequencies to be used, the spectrum price and the terms and conditions to be complied with by satellite operators with regard to national security.

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

First published: October 16, 2024 | 2:01 p.m. STI