The Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI) is likely to finalize the potential norms and guidelines on Satcom Spectrum allocations and further usage and charges by 15 December.

TRAI’s Stance

"Trai is working to submit a recommendation on the Satcom spectrum assignment by December 15. There were several points raised during the open house discussion, some of which were beyond the consultation paper. Those points also need to be looked upon," an official source said on condition of anonymity.

Significance  

Once the TRAI knocks off the norms and guidelines, further the central government would evaluate the recommendations to decide upon the allocation of satellite spectrum, paving the way for the satellite-based internet and communications system in India. 

Earlier efforts 

Last week itself, TRAI held an open house discussion on the suggestions for the same by telcos which received good participation from the industry including Reliance Jio, Bharti Airtel, and Elon Musk’s Starlink. 

Industry’s Response 

The Indian Telcos namely, Jio & Airtel have been pushing for spectrum auctions rather than allocation through bureaucracy to ensure equal opportunity to all the participants. Additionally, fears have also been associated with Satcom companies like Musk’s Starlink & Amazon’s Kuiper providing services to the people similar to terrestrial telecom services offered by these, leading to an unfair advantage being granted to the specific Satcom companies.

Read latest Recommendations:  Reliance Advocates for a Level Playing Field in Satcom Spectrum Allocations

The industry has reiterated the very same stance in its meeting with the Telecom Minister, held just a few days back.  

Credibility of the stance 

Additionally, the Mukesh Ambani-led firm has sought a legal opinion from a retired Supreme Court judge, who asserts that TRAI's consultation paper on spectrum allocation for satellite communications appears to have entirely overlooked the issue of creating a level playing field with ground-based telecom networks. Keeping the apex court’s AGR judgment in mind and its impact on the industry, this opinion can make a lot of difference.

Starlink’s Response 

During the open house discussion, Parnil Urdhwareshe, Director, of Starlink Satellite Communications, asserted that Indian users want satellite broadband services and that these "intelligent consumers" have the right to choose an operator who will provide them with an affordable, high-quality service.

What to expect? 

While decisions regarding rules and norms for Satcom spectrum allocations lie with TRAI and MoC, the Indian telco players don’t seem to agree with the repeated assertions made by the Telecom Minister regarding the government’s stance to allocate the spectrum and not go for a full-fledged auction. 

The scenario is getting more and more competitive with the players exercising all their efforts to secure their business interests while keeping the pace of technological advancements at par with the global standards.