TRAI Recommends Five-Year Satellite Spectrum Allocation as Starlink Nears Entry

The recommendation also includes a possibility to extend an initial five-year spectrum allocation by a further two years.

Advertisement
By Reuters | Updated: 9 May 2025 19:50 IST
Highlights
  • Starlink devices to be sold in Ambani's Reliance stores
  • Airtel has also pushed for a three-to-five year period for the licence
  • TRAI had agreed to demands for a lower licence time-frame
TRAI Recommends Five-Year Satellite Spectrum Allocation as Starlink Nears Entry

Musk has urged New Delhi to allot spectrum for 20 years

Photo Credit: Reuters

India's telecom regulator has recommended allotting satellite spectrum for commercial communication services for five years, it said on Friday, at a time when Elon Musk is getting closer to launching his Starlink high-speed internet in the country.

The recommendation also includes a possibility to extend an initial five-year spectrum allocation by a further two years depending on market conditions, the Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI) said.

The telecom watchdog also recommended charging telecom operators four percent of their adjusted gross revenue for geostationary orbit-based fixed satellite services and for mobile satellite services.

This is subject to a minimum annual spectrum charge of INR 3,500 ($41) per megahertz (MHz), according to TRAI.

Advertisement

For non-geostationary orbit-based fixed satellite services, an additional 500 rupees per subscriber per annum in urban areas should be charged, exempting rural and remote areas, it said.

The recommendations come as Elon Musk is working towards launching Starlink in India. Musk has urged New Delhi to allot spectrum for 20 years to focus on "affordable pricing and longer-term business plans," according to Starlink's public submissions.

Advertisement

TRAI had agreed to demands for a lower licence time-frame to see how the sector grows, Reuters had reported in March, citing a government source.

Musk and Indian billionaire Mukesh Ambani signed a partnership in March that would allow Starlink devices to be sold in Ambani's Reliance stores, giving it access to a large distributor.

Advertisement

Ambani and Musk had previously been rivals - Ambani's telco subsidiary had unsuccessfully lobbied New Delhi for months to auction spectrum rather than allot it administratively, as Musk wanted.

Bharti Airtel , India's no. 2 telco, has also pushed for a three-to-five year period for the licence. Bharti Airtel and Musk have also signed a distribution deal for Starlink.

© Thomson Reuters 2025

(This story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)

 

For the latest tech news and reviews, follow Gadgets 360 on X, Facebook, WhatsApp, Threads and Google News. For the latest videos on gadgets and tech, subscribe to our YouTube channel. If you want to know everything about top influencers, follow our in-house Who'sThat360 on Instagram and YouTube.

Advertisement

Related Stories

Popular Mobile Brands
  1. iQOO Z10 Lite 5G With 6,000mAh Battery Launched in India: Price, Features
  2. Nothing Phone 3 to Be Equipped With the Snapdragon 8s Gen 4 SoC
  3. Redmi Pad 2 With 11-Inch 2.5K Display, 9,000mAh Battery Launched in India
  4. Vivo X200 FE Launch Date, Colours, and Design Revealed Ahead of Launch
  5. Nothing Headphone 1 Price, Colour Options Leaked Ahead of Launch
  6. Amazfit Active 2 Square Debuts With 1.75-Inch AMOLED Display
  7. Samsung Galaxy M36 5G to Launch in India Soon; Design, Price Range Teased
  8. Google Pixel 10 Series Said to Get Faster Ultrasonic Fingerprint Sensor
  9. Redmi K80 Ultra to Use Dimensity 9400+ SoC; Design and Colours Revealed
  10. You Can Now Generate Video Clips on Canva With Google's Veo 3 Model
  1. Vivo T4 Ultra Now Available for Purchase in India: See Price, Offers, Specifications
  2. Infinix Note 50s 5G+ Now Available in a New 6GB RAM and 128GB Storage Variant in India
  3. Redmi K80 Ultra Design, Colours, and Key Features Revealed; to Get MediaTek Dimensity 9400+ SoC
  4. Xiaomi Mix Flip 2 Confirmed to Launch Later This Month With Leica-Branded Cameras
  5. Canva Adds Create a Video Clip Feature Powered by Google’s Veo 3 Video Generation AI Model
  6. GTA 6 Delay Weighs on Global Videogame Market Growth, Data Shows
  7. Coinbase Seeking US SEC Approval to Offer Blockchain-Based Stocks
  8. Google’s Gemini 2.5 Pro and Flash AI Models Are Now Generally Available to All Users
  9. US Senate Passes Stablecoin Bill in Milestone for Crypto Industry
  10. Sam Altman Says Meta Offered $100 Million Bonuses to Recruit OpenAI Employees
Gadgets 360 is available in
Download Our Apps
Available in Hindi
© Copyright Red Pixels Ventures Limited 2025. All rights reserved.