Broadband India Forum (BIF) hails the initiative of the Department of Telecommunications (DoT) to launch a spate of reforms which is expected to go a long way in the mainstreaming of satellite communications (satcom), significantly enhance the ease of doing business and help reduce costs in the sector. This would also lead to use of satcom in proliferation of broadband and achieving the country’s vision of digital India.

The measures announced by DoT towards simplification of processes and procedures and waiver/reduction in charges/fees for permissions/ licenses, which are part of the liberal and simplified framework, is likely to lead to increase the provisioning of satcom in unserved and underserved areas of the country. The move would help towards achieving broadband for all. These measures, which operate in tandem with the great liberalisation programme of DoS and InSPACe, are big boosters of investor confidence.

The benefits that are likely to accrue from the reforms undertaken would include :-

  • Single-stage scrutiny process by WPC and NOCC instead of the erstwhile multi-stage process – Major simplification of doing away with time-consuming per-site clearance (like WOL) for each user side terminal/ very small aperture terminal (VSAT) from that would save a lot of time in providing the satellite-based services to the citizens. Meanwhile, the process, which used to take 6-8 months, is proposed to be brought down to 6 weeks. This will lead to ease of doing business and faster rollouts and efficiency.
  • Self-verification instead of mandatory performance verification testing (MPVT) of satellite antennas – This move will lead to savings in testing charges and will help in faster rollout of services.
  • Completely automated and online processing of all applications through the Saral Sanchar portal will enhance ease of doing business.
  • Waiver of annual NOCC charges for both broadcasters and VSAT licensees and reduction of MPVT charges will greatly benefit both the broadcast and the satcom industry and help rollout services in an affordable manner.
  • Untill now, the satellite usage has been mostly limited to static-use. DoT has enhanced scope of VSAT and other licenses to include user terminals on moving platforms and satellite based machine-to-machine (M2M)/internet of things (IoT) devices. The move is likely to pave way for enhanced use of satellite-based services in logistics, Indian Railways and other sectors and attract more investment thereby creating more job opportunities. Moreover, the move will lead to proliferation of IoT in rural and remote areas and is likely to benefit Industry 4.0.

The savings from the actions on NOCC charges and the removal of MPVT charges would lead to an estimated savings of about Rs 1.20 billion per annum for the satellite broadcast and communication sector, including all players who are liable to pay. A very significant step since the sector has been struggling for quite a while on cost and viability issues.  It may be also noted that, as pointed out by Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI), the cost of monitoring of satellite transponders is already included in the spectrum usage charges (SUC) charges, thereby eliminating the need for charging it separately.

The significant savings that would arise from the vastly improved ease of doing business and the great benefit to the public and the economy from speedier and better quality rollouts cannot be quantified at this stage but, undoubtedly, these would be huge and constitute the most valuable outcome of these epoch making measures.

Commenting on the development, TV Ramachandran, president, BIF, said, “These satcom reforms announced by DoT would go a long way in meeting the goals of ‘Digital India’ and ‘Broadband for All’  and become all the more significant in the present scenario with positive and powerful developments such as the ongoing liberalisation programme and the forthcoming space bill along with opening up of the sector to enhance the involvement of the private sector in space activities. The latest satcom reforms by DoT are bound to boost the country’s digital connectivity quotient, including provisioning of broadband to the remotest and most inaccessible terrains in a most efficient and expeditious manner, thereby helping the nation to achieve its goal of attaining  ‘Antyodyay’. Other benefits include providing broadband the move – in trains, flights and ships, as well as several other innovative services and applications in the overall public interest.”