The new Telecom Bill 2023 tabled by union IT and telecom minister Ashwini Vaishnaw said that the spectrum can be allocated on an administrative basis to the satcom (satellite communications) players. This was a huge win for the satcom players, as they have been pretty vocal about the Indian govt aligning with the global practice and administratively allocating spectrum for satellite telephony services. Indian telecom operator Reliance Jio was against the notion because Jio felt that it was against the orders of the Supreme Court that came in 2012 and also it would disrupt the level playing field.
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To recall, after the infamous 2G scam, the Supreme Court of India decided that the only way spectrum should be given for commercial use in the telecom sector was through an auction process. But the new telecom bill 2023 says that the satcom players such as Starlink and Eutelsat OneWeb can gain access to spectrum via administrative allocation.
However, the central government has also approached the Supreme Court to get its green flag for the same. The government doesn't want to leave any stone unturned and wants to ensure that the new telecom bill 2023 can be implemented in the right manner. Thus, it has approached the apex court to give the green flag for administrative allocating spectrum to the satcom companies, said an ET report.
But the satcom players are likely going to invest more in India now as the policies around the sector are favourable to them. Eutelsat OneWeb is only waiting to get the spectrum from the government before it can start services. Jio also showcased Jio SpaceFiber at the India Mobile Congress (IMC) 2023 which will launch soon in India.
The Indian Space Association (ISpA) was also pretty happy with the announcement of the telecom bill 2023. Read about it here - Telecom Bill 2023: Here’s What the Industry is Saying About it
