BSNL signals edge over Starlink, OneWeb in satellite spectrum race: Report

State-run Bharat Sanchar Nigam Ltd (BSNL) may have an advantage over private satellite service providers such as Elon Musk’s Starlink, Eutelsat OneWeb and Reliance Jio Satellite as India prepares to allocate commercial satellite spectrum, the Economic Times reported on Tuesday, citing officials.

India could see the launch of commercial satellite communication services by December as Bharti-backed Eutelsat OneWeb, Reliance Jio-SES, and Starlink have secured all necessary permits and clearances.

TRAI gave its recommendations in May, and the DoT is expected to finalise pricing and allocation rules by October after cabinet approval.

BSNL, which currently provides satcom services mainly to strategic users, security agencies and government departments, pays just 1% of adjusted gross revenue (AGR) as spectrum charges under its GSPS (Sui Generis) licence, the report said.

The Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI) had recommended 4% AGR charges for private companies, though the Department of Telecommunications (DoT) has not accepted that pricing and could revise it higher, according to the report.

Experts believe that BSNL is likely to continue paying the lower levy due to strategic requirements, which could give it a potential edge over private players.

The government may, however, impose different levies on BSNL’s planned direct-to-device services, which would cater to commercial customers, the report said.

Last year, US-based satcom provider Viasat demonstrated direct-to-device connectivity in partnership with BSNL during the India Mobile Congress, showing two-way and SOS messaging via a commercial Android smartphone connected to one of its geostationary satellites, ET reported.

Direct-to-device technology allows mobile phones, smartwatches and cars to switch seamlessly between terrestrial and satellite networks, based on new 3GPP release 17 standards being adopted by satellite operators and handset makers.

The DoT has referred TRAI’s satcom pricing recommendations back to the regulator for clarifications, after which spectrum allocation modalities will be finalised for eligible firms, the newspaper said.