Telecom regulator TRAI chairman PD Vaghela on Tuesday said India will be the first country to auction spectrum for satellite communication (satcom) and it should be designed to attract investment in the sector.
Speaking at a Broadband India Forum Summit on SATCOM, Mr Vaghela said the Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI) would soon make recommendations to various ministries – information and broadcasting, space and telecommunications – to make necessary permissions for satellite communications. Enhancing the ease of doing business in the region.
He also said that TRAI had received a reference from the Department of Telecom for the spectrum required for auction and aspects related to satellite-based communications.
“I think India will be the first country to handle the issue of auction of space base spectrum. We are working on it,” said Mr. Vaghela.
He said TRAI will come out with some kind of model for auction of space spectrum. “But it should not kill the sector. It is very important. Whatever system we are bringing is really to encourage and promote investment in the sector, not to add any burden. is the big challenge that we face, and we are aware of this fact,” he said.
TRAI has not yet issued a consultation paper on spectrum auction as per the standard procedure laid down for satellite communication.
Asked about the status of the paper, Mr Vaghela said TRAI was in discussion with experts and regulators across the world for a suitable model and the consultation paper would be released after the discussions are over.
While telecom operators have proposed allocation of spectrum through auction for satellite communication, it has been opposed by satellite industry players.