The Department of Telecommunications (DoT) is expected to approach the Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI) soon to seek the regulator’s views on method and pricing for allocation of spectrum and scope of licences to be issued for satcom services.
Earlier, TRAI had floated a consultation paper on “Assignment of Spectrum for Space-based Communication Services” on April 6, 2023 but returned the reference back to DoT after announcement of new Indian Telecommunication Act.
As per the Indian Telecommunications Act 2023, satcom companies can get spectrum without auction for point-to-point communications. However, there are provisions that allow a very small aperture terminal (VSAT) service operator to provide internet services to multiple independent subscribers, which may be interpreted differently than envisioned in the Indian Telecommunications Act 2023.
According to the sources, VSAT licence has norms that are not in sync with the provisions of new Indian Telecommunications Act 2023 and therefore need to be fine-tuned.
