Communication Minister Jyotiraditya Scindia on Tuesday said that India will have multiple players providing satellite communications, just like mobile or terrestrial networks. The minister, while speaking at the 22nd edition of the Delhi Dialogue of The New Indian Express, highlighted that India is one of those few countries with new four serious telcos in the mobile market. Regarding Elon Musk's Starlink entering India, Scindia welcomed the competition, emphasising that anyone can apply, as more players translate to better services.
“As a communication minister my responsibility is to define the policy roadmap, and based on that, India's doors are open to everyone. You fulfill the requirements, and we are ready to welcome you. As long as you meet the requirements, we are more than happy to have you,” said Scindia.
Currently, the Department of Telecommunication (DoT) has granted Global Mobile Personal Communication by Satellite (GMPCS) licenses to Bharti Group-backed OneWeb and the Jio-SES joint venture, Jio Satellite Communications, to provide satellite communication services.
While both Musk’s Starlink and Amazon’s Project Kuiper have applied for licenses, neither has been approved by the government yet. The minister said the more the players, the merrier it is, and the satellite connectivity will provide one more option to the consumer to stay connected.
He said that his goal is to provide opportunities for every consumer to make their choice. There are areas across the globe where you can't reach through mobile towers, and that's where satellite connectivity provides an expressway for every consumer.
“Now, when it comes to satellite connectivity, please understand that it's one of the provisions to provide connectivity. My job as telecom minister is to provide an array of options to consumers. I am not only responsible for ISPs (Internet Service Provider, TSPs (Telecom Service Providers), or satellite providers; my primary responsibility is to my consumers,” said the minister.
The government has included provisions for satellite communications in its Telecommunication Act. The spectrum will be assigned administratively. The minister said as for spectrum assignment, TRAI (Telecom Regulatory Authority of India) is currently determining the details. “Once they make a decision, the spectrum will be assigned accordingly,” said the minister.
When asked when the state-owned Bharat Sanchar Nigam Limited (BSNL) will come up with commercial 4G services, the minister said the 4G services have already been started, and around 1.84 crore customers are already there. “We have started commercial 4G services (of BSNL), and we have close to 1.84 crore customers today. Our total customer base is around 9.1 crore. We have increased our customer base from 8.65 crores to 9.1 crores, which is a 6-7% growth since June 2024,” said the minister.