DoT, industry on opposite ends of satellite spectrum

New Delhi: Allocation of spectrum to the satellite industry is at the centre stage once again with satellite and technology companies opposing the Department of Telecommunications’ (DoT) plan to auction airwaves to them.

Telecom operators Reliance Jio and Vodafone Idea are backing DoT, while Bharti Enterprise-backed satcom firm OneWeb has joined the rest of the industry to demand administrative allocation of satellite spectrum.

Satellite spectrum has no territorial limits, is a shared resource, and is international in character with International Telecommunication Union (ITU) managing and coordinating its usage, and hence it can’t be auctioned, industry body Indian Space Association (ISpA) said on Wednesday.