Union Minister of Communications, Jyotiraditya M. Scindia addresses the gathering at the launch the theme of India Mobile Congress (IMC) 2025, in New Delhi on Monday
| Photo Credit:
ANI
Government has said that the launch time of satellite communications (Satcom) in the country will depend on the companies’ individual calls, once they finalise on the pricing and areas.
Elon Musk’s Starlink, along with other satellite communication providers such as Bharti Group-backed Eutelsat OneWeb, Reliance Jio’s joint venture with SES, and Globalstar, have plans of competing in this space of new communication technology.
Speaking on the sidelines of an event here, Jyotiraditya Scindia, Minister for Communications and Development of North East Region, said, “That (launch time) depends on the company’s own plan. Our job is to be able to provide the license, if they have fulfilled all the conditions, which two companies had (Bharti and Reliance) and the third company (Starlink) doing so.”
Scindia said the rules for spectrum allocation by Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI) has also come out now, so next steps of administrative spectrum allocation can be taken.
“.. it depends on the individual companies to define their own path…we can’t define that for them,” Scindia added.
Earlier this month, TRAI had recommended that satellite spectrum should be charged at four per cent of adjusted gross revenue (AGR) for both non-geostationary satellite orbit (NGSO) and geostationary satellite orbit (GSO) based fixed-satellite service (FSS) and mobile satellite service (MSS).
NGSO refers to those satellites which occupy either a low-earth orbit (LEO) or medium-earth orbit (MEO). Unlike geostationary GSO satellites, LEO and MEO satellites do not occupy a stationary position but move in relation to the Earth.
Key frequency bands recommended include Ku, Ka, Q/ V for data and Internet, and L, S, and C bands for mobile links. As per the recommendations, the spectrum will be assigned for up to five years, extendable by two years.
Bharti Group-backed Eutelsat Oneweb and Jio Satellite Communication have already received the global mobile personal communication by satellite (GMPCS) services licence needed to provide satcom services in the country. Once Starlink also gets the licence soon, the roll out of services may begin, analysts said.
Meanwhile, Scindia on Monday unveiled ‘Innovate to Transform’ as the theme for the Ninth Edition of the India Mobile Congress 2025 (IMC 2025), scheduled to be held from October 8-11 at Yashobhoomi Convention Centre, New Delhi.
Organised by the Department of Telecommunications (DoT) and the Cellular Operators Association of India (COAI), IMC 2025 is expected to attract over 1.5 lakh visitors from 150+ countries, feature over 400 exhibitors and partners, and more than 7,000 global delegates.
“The theme ‘Innovate to Transform’ outlines and underlines the concept that in this journey of transformation, innovation has always been core for India’s compass. We are among the top six countries today that are filing for 6G patents. We have built one of the most robust telecommunication networks and systems across the world which is cutting edge, customer oriented and service oriented,” Scindia said adding that now India is prioritising telecom customer protection in digital economy.
The Minister also launched the Sanchar Mitra Scheme that aims to strengthen the connect between the telecom sector and citizens.
Published on May 27, 2025