India’s telecom sector can’t afford a duopoly, competition is a must: Telecom minister

India’s telecom sector can’t afford a duopoly, competition is a must: Telecom minister

India’s telecom sector can’t afford a duopoly, telecom minister Jyotiraditya Scindia warned on World WiFi Day on June 24, adding the government supports competition in all sectors in the country.

He said rules for delicensing the 6 GHz band will be announced before Independence Day as the government pushes for deeper competition and wider connectivity.

“It’s not good enough having a duopoly or one carrier or two carriers. India must have competition in every sector. India today is probably the only country in the world for competition in ISP domain,” Scindia said at the event in Delhi.

His comments come at a time when Vodafone Idea is seeking relief from the Department of Telecommunications on outstanding regulatory dues of Rs 84,000 crore. The telco has shared concerns that it would flounder without any support on AGR- dues.

Underscoring the government’s focus on bridging connectivity gaps, he added that spectrum will soon be assigned to satellite communication firms on an administrative basis. “We are also looking at the sky and satellite. LEO and MEO both have become today a reality in India. Spectrum will be assigned on an administrative basis. Three licenses are being given out, and those areas that were never connected will become connected,” he said.

Scindia also urged chip makers and OEMs to help bring down device costs to prevent a new digital divide. “We cannot allow devices to become the new digital divide in our country,” he said.