NEW DELHI: Government’s decision to allocate satellite spectrum through the globally harmonised administrative method will spur growth in the nascent space sector of the country, said the Indian Space Association (ISpA) in response to the Telecom Bill which was tabled in Lok Sabha on Monday.
“By allocating the spectrum by administrative method for satcom, India could align itself with international standards, promote global cooperation and also help drive innovation, create opportunities for startups, and strengthen the country’s position in the global satellite market. This would also spur growth in all downstream sectors of space providing impetus to the space economy in India,” said AK Bhatt, Director General of ISpA in a statement.
The Bill was introduced in the lower house of Parliament by union telecom and IT minister Ashwini Vaishnaw.
ET on Monday reported that the government has proposed administrative allocation of spectrum for satellite services. Global mobile personal communication by satellite (GMPCS) has been incorporated under the first schedule, wherein spectrum will be assigned administratively.
Telecom players Reliance Jio and Vodafone Idea have sought the allocation of spectrum for commercial satellite-based services through the auction route only. By contrast, satellite communications (satcom) companies have been demanding the allocation of spectrum by administrative method.
OneWeb (now merged with France’s Eutelsat) has a constellation of geostationary (GEO) and low-Earth orbit (LEO) satellites, while Jio has a joint venture with Luxembourg SES, which has a combination of GEO and medium-earth orbit (MEO) satellites constellation.
The Digital Infrastructure Providers Association (DIPA), in a separate statement, said the provisions in the Telecom Bill will bring uniformity across states in terms of Right of Way (RoW) rules and regulations, along with rates. They will also address long-standing issues for telecom infrastructure providers, including capping of charges, deemed approval, and deployment of telecom infrastructure on private property.
“The bill aims to ensure the continuity of authorization and provides for the continuation of rules, guidelines, and administrative orders issued under the existing regime. Additionally, the bill safeguards digital infrastructure,” said T R Dua, Director General of DIPA.
He noted that telecom network is not considered part of the property for transactions or tax purposes, and the bill aims at relieving the Infrastructure industry from the additional exorbitant tax burden.
“In conclusion, it will certainly ease the process of doing business and reduce compliance burdens, aiming to create a conducive business environment,” Dua said.