India Prepares for Satcom Era, Plans Rs 930 Crore Satellite Monitoring Facility: Report

“Some of the measures are likely to be announced through the new Telecom Policy, which will create a roadmap for the next five years or by 2030,” said one official, according to the report.

A second official reportedly said that the DCC, which is an inter-ministerial panel and the highest decision-making body of the Department of Telecommunications (DoT), has already cleared the proposal for setting up the satellite monitoring facility with an outlay of around Rs 930 crore. The facility, once operational, will monitor both local and foreign satellites over Indian skies and satellite-based communication services in the country.

Also Read: TRAI Proposes Administrative Allocation of Satcom Spectrum With Five-Year Licensing Framework

“Apart from monitoring, the facility would be helpful for mitigating interference from adjacent satellites in the Indian sky and there would be better coordination,” the official added.

Currently, there are no Indian operators in the LEO satellite segment, but the government anticipates this will change. To ensure Indian entities are not at a disadvantage when entering the market in the future, the government is reserving the necessary orbital and spectrum resources, officials noted.

“Already there are many startups in the satcom space, and the government wants India to emerge as a major player in the satellite market. The regulatory framework will be streamlined and simplified to unlock the potential of the satellite market,” said the second official, as per the report.

“The law enforcement agencies can take a call which countries can be allowed to be served from Indian gateways,” the second official added.

Also Read: ISpA Welcomes TRAI’s Satellite Spectrum Pricing Recommendations

Space Economy Set for Major Expansion

India’s space economy is projected to grow to USD 44 billion by 2033, boosting its global market share from 2 percent to 8 percent, according to IN-SPACe. Commercial satcom services are poised to launch soon following the Department of Telecommunications’ (DoT) planned spectrum allocation, with TRAI recommending a 4 percent adjusted gross revenue fee valid for five years.

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