Global space firms join rush for India’s satellite communications license

At least half a dozen players besides Elon Musk-backed Starlink and Jeff Bezos’ Project Kuiper are looking to enter the Indian satellite communications (satcom) market.

These include Munich-based Rivada Networks, California-based Viasat, Barcelona-based Sateliot, Ottawa-based Telesat and Delaware-based Globalsat.

These companies have written to the Telecom Regulatory Authority of India expressing their willingness to launch satellite communications services in India.

“As Globalstar grows its satellite communications business, it has embarked on a comprehensive global strategy to develop its direct presence and regulatory compliance in numerous countries around the world. India is the largest market that Globalstar has not been able to enter so far. Globalstar hopes that this consultation results in TRAI’s instituting regulatory reforms in the satellite spectrum that will facilitate its proposed entry into India,” Globalstar wrote in its submission to Trai.

The company operates a global network of 28 gateway ground stations located in eighteen countries; and has over 760,000 users in over 120 countries.

Apple Inc recently announced a “satellite emergency SOS” feature directly to the phone using Globalstar’s MSS network.

Sateliot, which provides wholesale satellite capacity provision to mobile operators and IoT operators, said it is committed to playing an active role in shaping the ecosystem by providing IoT connectivity via satellite that complements India’s digital and connectivity goals.

Most of these players have demanded a low spectrum fee to make services affordable. ”

Spectrum tariffs are proposed to be based on a percentage of Adjusted Gross Revenue (AGR), with a ceiling not exceeding 1% of AGR or even less. This approach promotes wider access to satellite services without imposing excessive financial burdens on operators, stimulating the growth of satellite connectivity in the regions that need it most,” said Rivada Space Network.

The Centre’s decision to allocate spectrum for satellite communications administratively rather than through auction has encouraged these global players to look at India.

Unlike mobile services, satellite communications (satcom) networks do not require dedicated spectrum resources. All satellite players in other countries operate by sharing spectrum resources.

“In a country with a wide range of geographical areas like India, this technology is relevant, considering that about 25% of the Indian population lives in areas where it is extremely difficult for terrestrial operators to establish a telecommunications network. Secondly, the entry of satcom players will revive the competitive landscape of the telecom sector, which has so far become a duopoly,” said a market expert.

Satcom services have so far been deployed to provide fixed broadband services and as backhaul infrastructure for telecom operators. However, advances in technology have made it possible for satellite communications players to deliver seamless broadband connectivity directly to users’ smartphones, bypassing traditional cell phone towers entirely.

While this gives consumers more choice, telecom operators have expressed concern that satellite operators could disrupt their business model.