The government has reportedly extended the trial spectrum usage period for satellite internet providers by another six months, until November 2025, giving operators critical additional time to comply with India’s stringent security requirements.
The extension comes as a relief to providers that have yet to meet the recently introduced security guidelines, which are mandatory before launching commercial services in India. The service launches may face delays if companies fail to achieve the required standards.
The extension is intended to allow companies to fulfill national security compliance mandates while the government works on finalising satellite spectrum pricing and other conditions necessary for commercial rollout. The official emphasised that national security safeguards must be in place before any services are allowed to go live.
The Department of Telecommunications (DoT) had originally allocated provisional spectrum to companies in October through a notification, at a one-time fee of Rs 0.1 million for a six-month duration. This spectrum was granted solely for testing purposes and achieving security compliance, and not for commercial service deployment.
