According to TRAI Chairman PD Vaghela, India will be the first country to auction off satellite communication spectrum, and it should be structured to draw investors to the market.
Vaghela said the Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI) will soon make recommendations to streamline the permissions required for satellite communication from various ministries, including Information and Broadcasting, Space, and Telecom, to improve the ease of doing business in the sector. This was in response to a Broadband India Forum summit on SatCom. He added that the Department of Telecommunication has provided TRAI with a reference for the satellite-based communication-related aspects of the spectrum that needed to be auctioned off.
"I believe India will deal with the space base spectrum sale issue first. We are addressing it "Vaghela remarked.
He continued, "TRAI will be releasing some form of model for the auction of space spectrum." "But it shouldn't endanger the industry. That is vital information. Any mechanism we implement will actually support and promote investment in the industry rather than add to the burden. That is, by far, our greatest difficulty, and we are aware of that "Vaghela remarked.
According to the regular procedure intended for satellite communication, TRAI has not yet released a consultation paper on the spectrum auction.
When questioned about the study's status, Vaghela responded that the regulatory body was discussing an appropriate model with experts and regulators all around the world and that the consultation paper will be floated after those conversations were complete. Satellite sector participants have voiced opposition to the idea of telecom operators allocating spectrum for satellite communication through an auction.