Amazon Kuiper flags spectrum concerns as Indian telcos seek exclusive microwave access for 5G, 6G backhaul

“As Trai evaluates the potential expansion of spectrum assignment for terrestrial use in the 18 GHz band, Amazon encourages it to take a cautious approach… This band—which has historically been much less utilised by terrestrial services in India—is critical to the Kuiper system’s ability to deliver reliable, affordable, and widely-accessible wireless broadband,” Amazon said.

Amazon's Kuiper system primarily utilises the Ka-band, specifically the 17.7–19.7 GHz range (also known as the 18 GHz band), for functions such as satellite-to-customer downlinks, gateway communication, and telemetry. The company said that this band offers significant benefits over the traditional Ku-band, including higher throughput and smaller, more cost-effective customer terminals.

"Considering both the differing demand for, and co-primary designation of the 18 GHz band for fixed satellite services (FSS) and FS use, Amazon encourages Trai to seek opportunities to facilitate the harmonious coexistence of terrestrial backhaul and satellite services," the company said.

The tech giant urged the regulator to prioritise terrestrial backhaul use in other microwave bands—such as 13, 15, and 21 GHz—which are already better suited for such applications, before considering expansion in the 18 GHz band.

To ensure coexistence between FSS and terrestrial operators, Amazon recommended that Trai should make technical parameters like Effective Isotropic Radiated Power (EIRP), power, height, and location of backhaul deployments public. This, it said, would improve transparency, coordination, and interference mitigation between satellite and terrestrial systems.

Amazon also pushed for similar safeguards in the E-band, which it sees as vital for scaling NGSO networks to meet growing global demand.

“Amazon anticipates using E-band frequencies to increase the capacity of NGSO FSS system gateway links… particularly as other frequency bands become congested,” it noted.

What is Project Kuiper?

Amazon’s Project Kuiper aims to deliver high-speed, low-latency broadband via a constellation of NGSO satellites in low Earth orbit, targeting unserved and underserved regions globally, including India. Backed by a $10 billion investment, Amazon successfully launched Kuiper satellites in April and June 2025.

Commercial broadband services are expected to begin in select regions this year, with global expansion to follow. Kuiper will also support backhaul for telecom operators and offer connectivity for aviation, maritime, and land mobility. In India, Amazon is awaiting regulatory approvals from GMPCS and the Indian National Space Promotion and Authorisation Centre (IN-SPACe), having completed the required checks. Its application is slated for review by the inter-ministerial standing committee.

Telcos want exclusivity over backhaul bands

On the other hand, India’s telecom operators, represented by COAI, has requested Trai to reserve all microwave backhaul spectrum for telcos holding access licences.

COAI highlighted the growing demands on mobile networks due to 5G rollout, urban densification, and future 6G services, arguing that traditional microwave bands remain essential, especially in areas where fiber rollout is costly or complicated.

“While India is advancing in fiberisation, around 54 percent of the base stations are still connected via wireless backhaul,” said COAI Director General SP Kochhar. “The traditional microwave bands thus remain indispensable… due to terrain, cost, or administrative constraints.”

The industry body has demanded that bands such as 6 GHz (lower), 7 GHz, 13 GHz, 15 GHz, 18 GHz, and 21 GHz be exclusively assigned to telecom service providers (TSPs).

“The existing spectrum in traditional microwave backhaul bands should be made fully available to TSPs having an access licence,” Kochhar said in COAI’s own July 2 submission.

Global satellite body seeks safeguards, flags WRC-27 timeline

Echoing Amazon’s concerns, the Global Satellite Operators Association (GSOA) has requested  Trai that is should ensure that the increased use of shared bands by terrestrial services does not degrade satellite performance, especially in co-primary frequency ranges.

The Brussels-based group stated that many of the bands under Trai’s consultation—including those in the 12.75–13.25 GHz, 14.5–15.35 GHz, and 17.7–21.2 GHz ranges—are shared with satellite services and any terrestrial expansion must be approached with caution.

“Demand exists, but a balance must be struck to ensure continued, reliable operation of FSS, especially in frequency ranges that support essential services like disaster recovery, remote education, and broadband access in underserved regions,” GSOA said.

The association urged the regulator to restrict the use of shared bands only to point-to-point applications and avoid any International Mobile Telecommunication (IMT) or IMT-like or point-to-multipoint (PTMP) services masquerading as backhaul, as these could increase interference risks.

“Such usage could introduce widespread interference risks, particularly in co-primary bands like 12.75–13.25 GHz, adversely impacting FSS operations,” GSOA warned.

Importantly, GSOA has strongly opposed any change to regulatory frameworks or spectrum usage policies for the 7 GHz and 15 GHz bands before the conclusion of the World Radiocommunication Conference 2027 (WRC-27).

These bands are currently under study globally, under Agenda Item 1.7, and any premature decisions by Trai, GSOA said, would be procedurally flawed and potentially harmful to FSS operators.

“Expanded use without proper coordination or interference management risks degrading satellite performance and service availability across India and globally,” the association said.