By Kiran Rathee
Copyright indiatimes
New Delhi: The Department of Telecommunications (DoT) has referred back a majority of the recommendations given by the telecom regulator concerning satellite spectrum allocation, including pricing of the airwaves.Officials told ET the Digital Communications Commission (DCC), the highest decision-making body of DoT, met Tuesday and discussed the recommendations of the Telecom Regulatory Authority of India, but nothing was approved. “We have sent the reference back to Trai and once they clarify, the proposals will be taken up again,” said an official on the condition of anonymity.The proposals that were referred back include charging urban consumers an additional ₹500 for satellite broadband connection. In terms of pricing, the department also wanted to know how to treat internet of things devices in terms of spectrum charges.ET had on September 3 reported about DoT’s plans to refer the recommendations back to Trai. While DoT in principle agrees to Trai’s suggestion of charging 4% of the adjusted gross revenue of the satcom company as spectrum charges, other features like the ₹500 urban levy and and a minimum annual fee of ₹3,500 per MGz on satcom firms that contribute to the overall pricing mechanism, need clarification.The regulator has said that the additional levy on urban consumers would help incentivise the satcom firms to offer services in rural areas.Live EventsDoT, however, believes that this fixed charge of ₹500 for urban areas needs to be re-examined based on the overall expected pricing of satcom services for desired results.Other proposals that were referred back include the use of the Digital Bharat Nidhi (DBN) funds to subsidise satellite terminals. The regulator had proposed to disburse subsidy from the DBN, either as a lump sum payment or in instalments, to fund satellite terminals that cost ₹20,000- 50,000 in a bid to boost adoption.Proposals concerning interference were also sent back. DoT also did not agree with Trai on the capacity of satellite ecosystems and wanted to fix limits for subscribers utilising a particular satellite system.The pricing was justified as satcom was still nascent and not seen directly competing with terrestrial services. The regulator said that the terms and conditions, including pricing, could be revised after five years, covering all authorised entities, including the existing ones.Add as a Reliable and Trusted News Source Add Now!
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Read More News onsatellite spectrum allocationDepartment of TelecommunicationsTelecom Regulatory Authority of Indiasatellite broadbandsatcom pricingDigital Communications Commissionrural satellite servicesinternet of things spectrum charges
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(You can now subscribe to our Economic Times WhatsApp channel)Read More News onsatellite spectrum allocationDepartment of TelecommunicationsTelecom Regulatory Authority of Indiasatellite broadbandsatcom pricingDigital Communications Commissionrural satellite servicesinternet of things spectrum charges(Catch all the Business News, Breaking News, Budget 2025 Events and Latest News Updates on The Economic Times.) Subscribe to The Economic Times Prime and read the ET ePaper online….moreless
