NEW DELHI: A day after Congress leader Jairam Ramesh raised concerns over the government’s decision to administratively allocate satellite spectrum in the country, communications minister Jyotiraditya Scindia on Tuesday defended the move, saying that satellite spectrum is neither suitable nor practical for auction.
In a post on social media platform X, Scindia explained the technical reasons behind the decision, emphasising that satellite spectrum is inherently shareable and thus can’t be effectively auctioned.
“The satellite spectrum in the Ku band (around 14 GHz) and Ka band (27.1 to 31 GHz) is inherently shareable in nature, and therefore it is neither desirable nor feasible to allocate it through auction,” said Scindia.
The minister also addressed the financial aspects, noting that satellite spectrum is highly underutilised. He warned that failing to assign it could result in two key disadvantages: potential loss of government revenue and missed opportunities to advance technologically, which could help bridge the digital divide.