Separate Licence for Satellite Earth Station Gateways approved by DCC

The new SESG licence will be available for renewal for an additional 10 years, with a 20-year initial term from the date of issuance. The need for a new framework for SESG, given the current regime forbids such players, prompted this regulatory change.

The Department of Telecommunications' (DoT) top decision-making body, the Digital Communications Commission (DCC), has approved the issuance of a unique licence for the construction of satellite earth station gateways (SESG). This action follows the DCC's approval of the Telecom Regulatory Authority of India's (TRAI) recommendations in November of the previous year.

Holders of the satellite earth station gateway licence will not be allowed to directly market any telecom or broadcasting services to consumers under the proposed rules as reported by ET in a report. Instead, only authorized organisations, including telecom carriers, will be able to use their services. Additionally, since their job will not involve offering communication services to end users, SESG holders won't be given any spectrum.

The new SESG licence will be available for renewal for an additional 10 years, with a 20-year initial term from the date of issuance. The need for a new framework for SESG, given the current regime forbids such players, prompted this regulatory change. At the moment, a licensee must build its own gateway in order to provide any kind of satellite-based communication services.

The acceptance of the SESG licence represents an important step in permitting the expansion of satellite-based communication services in India and luring big names to join the developing space industry of the nation.

Earlier this week, a significant cooperation was formed between the Gujarat Government’s Science and Technology Department and the London-based company OneWeb. They agreed to create a “Satellite Network Portal Site” in Gujarat, India, by signing a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU). This portal site’s main objective is to deliver consistent and secure satellite internet connection at cheap rates across the country to many sectors, including the government.

Bharti Group-backed OneWeb, Reliance Jio's partnership with SES of Luxembourg, Amazon's Project Kuiper, Elon Musk-owned Starlink, Viasat, and the Tata-Telesat partnership are some of the current and future options of satellite broadband service providers In India.

Elon Musk even expressed his desire to launch Starlink in India during a meeting with Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi during the Indian PM’s recent visit to the United States. Musk noted that Starlink “can be incredibly helpful” in outlying communities lacking high-speed services or internet access.

According to a global trend, Starlink is urging India to simply award licences rather than auction the spectrum, arguing that it is a natural resource that should be shared by businesses. Geographical limitations imposed by an auction may increase expenses, it stated in corporate communications that the Indian government made public last month.