The Digital Communications Commission (DCC), the Department of Telecommunications’ apex decision-making body, has reportedly approved most of the Telecom Regulatory Authority of India’s recommendations on spectrum allocation in the country.
Major satellite internet players: Starlink, Eutelsat OneWeb, Jio Satellite and Amazon Leo have secured permission to provide satellite communication services in India. Commercial operations, however, cannot begin until spectrum is assigned and the companies receive the second stage of security clearance.
It is revealed that DCC has approved the proposal to charge 5% adjusted gross revenue (AGR) as a spectrum fee for satcom firms, which will be discounted to 4% in rural or remote areas. Spectrum will be granted for 5 years, with a possible extension of 2 years.
TRAI also recommended an additional Rs 500 per urban subscriber per year for non-geostationary orbit (NGSO)-based satellite services. However, the DoT rejected the proposed per-subscriber charge, citing difficulties in distinguishing between urban and rural users. It also turned down TRAI’s proposal to subsidise fixed satellite terminals for select rural and remote subscribers through the Digital Bharat Nidhi (DBN), saying the existing framework does not provide for such subsidies.
The Satellite spectrum will not be auctioned. Instead, the government will assign it directly to operators.
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