Spectrum is the most crucial resource that a company can get its hands on for offering communication services. Since it is a limited resource, the government offers it to the telecom and tech industry with a very deliberate and careful approach so that it doesn't get wasted. Very soon, satellite communication (satcom) players looking to offer satellite broadband services would also be seeking spectrum allocation from the government. But because this has never happened before, India is currently in the consultation stage to determine what would be the best way to give spectrum to the satcom players and how much spectrum is required in what frequencies to enable satellite broadband services.
In that regard, the Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI) has released a consultation paper on "Assignment of Spectrum for Space-Based Communication Services". The Department of Telecommunications (DoT) asked the sector regulator back in 2021 for its recommendations on the auction of spectrum in the frequencies identified for the IMT/5G. Along with this, the telecom department asked TRAI to provide recommendations on appropriate frequency bands, band plan, block size, applicable reserve price, the quantum of spectrum to be auctioned and associated conditions for the auction of spectrum for space-based communication services.
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To ensure that there's no delay in the launch of 5G, the DoT decided that the matter of satellite frequencies can be taken up separately. Through the recently released consultation paper, TRAI wants to assess the demand for space-based communication services and then recommend the quantum of the spectrum that would be required in each band to be put to auction.
Also, TRAI may explore the feasibility of sharing the auctioned spectrum amongst multiple service licensees. TRAI may provide recommendations on sharing of auctioned frequency bands between satellite networks and terrestrial networks also, the criteria for sharing and appropriate interference mitigation techniques for sharing and coexistence.
But one of the biggest things that the government has to currently address when it comes to satellite spectrum is the methodology of auctioning it. Whether the spectrum is auctioned or allocated in an administrative manner is going to play a crucial role in the future investments of global satcom companies in the Indian market.
