Telecom Watchdog asks DoT to stop OneWeb, Starlink and Amazon from getting free 5G spectrum through backdoor

Kolkata: Telecom Watchdog, a consumer forum and an NGO, has called on telecom secretary Anshu Prakash, to stop the three global LEO satellite operators — Bharti-backed OneWeb, Elon Musk’s Starlink and Jeff Bezos-founded Amazon — from grabbing potential 4G/5G spectrum for free through the backdoor. It warned that any move to give these satellite companies access to top-grade airwaves worth billions without auctions would flout a ruling of the nation’s top court, pose national security challenges and upset the level-playing field in the telecom sector.