Satellite communication will work to connect people deprived of telecommunications in India: Scindia

Union Telecom Minister Jyotiraditya Scindia on Monday said that he is looking forward to the development of satellite communication networks or non-terrestrial networks with great hope. He said that these mediums will create new opportunities in the field of communication technologies besides connecting people deprived of telecommunications. At the South Asian Telecom Regulatory Council organized by the Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI), Scindia said that non-terrestrial networks will introduce new applications. He said that this will also help in furthering the government’s resolve towards the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals. Scindia said that the advent of non-terrestrial networks has brought a new turn in telecommunications technology and it will greatly help in connecting the population untouched by telecommunications. The government has decided to allocate spectrum to satellite communication companies without auction, which will particularly benefit companies like Starlink owned by Elon Musk. Bharti Group-backed OneWeb and Jio Satcom have received permits for satcom services, but their parent companies have opposed the allocation of spectrum without auction. Despite opposition from telecom operators, Scindia has clarified that the allocation of satellite spectrum will be done through administrative method as per the Telecom Act 2023.