Telecom Diary: Will India take global cue in satcom spectrum allocation?

The Indian satcom market has always attracted global satellite players. But this time it’s albeit in a peculiar way.

Global players – Amazon, Starlink, Telesat, Inmarsat, OneWeb, Hughes as well as global satellite operators association (GSOA) have opposed the idea of auctioning spectrum for satcom services in response to telecom regulator TRAI’s consultation paper on ‘Assignment of Spectrum for Space-based Communication Services’.

In India, satellite communication services are being touted as the best bet to provide internet connectivity across nook and corners of the country. As per available estimates, rural India has a broadband penetration of 29 per cent compared to urban India’s 93 per cent.