73% respondents want satcom spectrum without auction: ISpA

New Delhi: About three-fourth respondents including Starlink, Amazon, OneWeb have advocated for allocation of satellite communication spectrum through an administrative process and not through auction, according to space sector industry body ISpA.

On Trai's consultation paper, telecom operators Reliance Jio and Vodafone have opposed allocation of spectrum for satellite communication through an administrative process citing the Supreme Court order, which declared that the right to use such spectrum can only be transferred through a transparent auction.

However, Bharti Airtel has backed the demand of satellite companies to allocate spectrum through administrative processes. Bharti Group holds a majority stake in OneWeb. The Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI) has released a consultation paper on the Assignment of Spectrum for Space-Based Communication. According to Indian Space Association team research, about 73 per cent or 47 of 64 respondents have advocated for allocation of spectrum through an administrative process.

"The overwhelming majority, which includes all space players, strongly supports the administrative allocation of the satellite spectrum. This reinforces ISpA's viewpoint. Our suggestions are in line with global best practices, which have enabled the successful adoption of space-based communication technology," ISpA Director General AK Bhatt said.

Amazon said that it has plans to launch Project Kuiper, a non-geostationary satellite orbit (NGSO) constellation consisting of over 3,000 satellites in low Earth orbit (LEO) that will provide high capacity, high-speed, low latency broadband services to residential customers, schools, and businesses, including those in remote communities in India. While pushing for allocation of spectrum through an administrative process, the company submitted that the Supreme Court judgement does not bind the government to allocate spectrum through auction only.