OneWeb and Jio seek provisional satellite spectrum for six months from minister

What Bharti Group-backed Eutelsat OneWeb and Reliance Jio sought at the meeting.

Bharti Group-backed Eutelsat OneWeb and Reliance Jio reportedly called on the minister to consider early provisional allocation of satellite spectrum for around six months. This would allow them to quickly launch broadband-from-space services in India, a developing market with significant potential.

Currently, companies need two key approvals before offering commercial satellite communication (satcom) services: a GMPCS license and authorization from IN-SPACe (the space regulator). Both Eutelsat OneWeb and Jio have already secured these licenses, along with landing rights to operate their satellite networks in India. They are essentially ready to launch, but require spectrum allocation from the government.

Why the rush to launch satellite broadband services
The urgency stems from competition. Global giants like Amazon’s Kuiper and Elon Musk’s Starlink are also eyeing the Indian market, but are still navigating the regulatory process. Eutelsat OneWeb and Jio want a head start to establish themselves as the first movers.

During a recent meeting with telecom minister Ashwini Vaishnaw Scindia, industry representatives proposed a temporary allocation of satellite spectrum. This would allow licensed companies to begin operations while final spectrum pricing regulations are being determined.

The space industry is concerned that finalizing spectrum allocation rules could take months, significantly delaying commercial satellite broadband services in India. The Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI) has just received the task of recommending spectrum pricing and allocation terms, and this process is expected to take several months.

The meeting was attended by Neeraj Mittal, Secretary, Department of Telecommunications (DoT), Manish Sinha, Member (Finance), DoT, Madhu Arora, Member (Technology), DoT, as well as, Ravi Gandhi, Chief Regulatory Officer of Reliance Jio Infocomm, Rahul Vatts, Chief Regulatory Officer of Bharti Airtel, and Director of OneWeb India, and Gautam Sharma, Managing Director of Inmarsat, among others, were also present in the meeting. ToI