NEW DELHI: The government’s decision to allocate satellite spectrum will unfold opportunities in the country’s mushrooming satellite industry, said an official in the telecom ministry.
According to them, the move will help nearly 300 start-ups in the satellite industry to flourish. “The purpose of the administratively allocating is to help to mushroom India’s space industry. I am sure one day India’s space industry will be as big as electronic manufacturing is in India,” said the official.
In the final Telecommunication Bill introduced in Lok Sabha on Monday, the government announced allocating satellite spectrum to the companies, instead of auctioning. The move will give relief to the players in satellite communication such as Sunil Mittal-led OneWeb, Jio Satellite and Elon Musk-led-Starlink. The bill was welcomed by telecom service providers and industry experts.
Vodafone Idea, India’s third-largest telecom service provider, applauded the clause, which prescribes punitive consequences for damaging the telecom infrastructure. “The Bill recognises telecom as critical infrastructure and prescribes punitive consequences for those who damage it. By highlighting the duties of users, the Bill puts equal responsibility on consumers to meet the requirements of national security,” said Akshaya Moondra, CEO, Vodafone Idea Limited.