The Digital Communications Commission (DCC), the highest policy -making organization of the Department of Telecommunications (DOT), has sought clarification from the Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI) on the allocation of satellite -based spectrum and some points on its recommendations on pricing. According to sources, this explanation mainly belongs to the proposed additional fee and minimum annual spectrum fee on urban customers.
This decision is considered to be very important for companies preparing to enter the field of satellite-based broadband services in India such as Elon Musk’s Starlink, Bharti-backed YouTelsat Oneweb, and Reliance Jio-SES.
Sources say that in the DCC meeting, questions were raised about the proposal of TRAI to recover an additional ₹ 500 per year from urban consumers. The department believes that this can cause technical complications in implementing, billing and determining discrimination between urban-rural customers.
Officials suspect that such a fee can make satellite broadband models launched expensive in urban areas to make it less attractive to customers.
TRAI had recommended the GSO (Geostationary Orbit) and Non-GESO or NGSO based stable and mobile satellite services to fix a minimum spectrum fee of ₹ 3,500 per MHz per year. But DCC believes that spectrum is a limited and valuable resource, so this amount is very low and will not be able to discourage companies who do not use it with spectrum. The department suggests that this fee should be kept more to ensure efficient use.
In May 2025, TRAI recommended a 4% annual revenue share (AGR) fee for satellite -based internet services and allocating the spectrum for a period of 5 years, which could be extended to 2 years ahead. In the region, YouTelsat Oneweb and Jio Satellite Communications have already received licenses from the Department of Telecommunications, while Amazon’s Kuiper is waiting for approval.
SpaceX’s Starlink is also partnered with Reliance Jio and Bharti Airtel to start services in India. These companies will provide starlink equipment from their network and will provide installation and technical assistance to customers.
The government released strict security criteria for satellite communication services earlier this year. These include providing legal interception facilities within India, not processing data abroad and indigening in India within two years at least 20% of the network. In addition, companies will have to get security approval for their gateway and hub sites and follow provisions to monitoring and interception.
