DoT urged to consider administrative allocation of satellite spectrum, not auction

Members of the space industry have urged the Department of Telecommunications (DoT) to go for administrative allocation of the satellite spectrum and not auction it, a release by the SatCom Industry Association of India said.

"During the three days of deliberations at the India Space Congress 2022, the members of the space industry echoed the view for administrative allocation of 28MhZ spectrum and not take the auction route," the statement issued on October 28 read.

"This is in conjunction with the fact that satellite spectrum auction has never happened in India before and globally the administrative allocation route is followed," the association explained.

"The SatCom industry is of the view that for the industry to grow, a comprehensive and conducive policy for the sector is required incorporating international best practices," it added.

The request is in line with Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) chairman S Somanath's suggestion to the Ministry of Communications to not regulate satellite spectrum in the draft India Telecommunications Bill 2022.

Somanath had also explained how the satellite spectrum is different from the terrestrial spectrum.

"They cannot be combined as one. The telecom bill has to explicitly bring out that this entirely different spectrum will be managed differently," he had said earlier this week.