The government on Tuesday said that spectrum for satellite broadband will not be auctioned but allocated administratively, after SpaceX CEO Elon Musk termed the auction route being sought in the country by top industrialists as “unprecedented”.

During a press briefing at the ‘India Mobile Congress 2024’, Telecom Minister Jyotiraditya Scindia said the spectrum for satellite services will be allocated administratively.

“There is a paper that has already been circulated by TRAI and that regulatory authority of telecom has been empowered by the constitution to decide what administrative prices are going to be,” the minister said.

“I am very confident that they will come up with the best prices that should be adopted, provided they are under administrative demand,” the minister added.

Minister Scindia assured that the allocation process is in line with global standards.

“Spectrum for satcom is shared spectrum, and cannot be auctioned. The administrative allocation of satellite spectrum is practised worldwide,” the minister said, adding that any decision on costs would be determined by the Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI).

Musk had said that to auction the satellite broadband spectrum, rather than allocate it, would be “unprecedented”.

The tech billionaire owns affordable satellite connectivity company Starlink, which is trying to enter the country.

In a statement, Airtel said it has always supported the ushering in of satcom services to connect the uncovered areas in the deep far-flung reaches of the nation for maritime services, aviation, our defence and security needs as also for disaster recovery activities.

“Even six months back, Airtel had written a letter to DoT. Therefore, there is no question of Airtel having moved its stance. Airtel has always maintained that it will use all technologies including satcom to ensure that every nook and corner of the country is covered for high-speed broadband connectivity. This position remains consistent,” said the company.

“Satellite operators who want to provide services to urban areas and retail customers indeed need to go through the regular licensing process of any country, and in this case, India, to obtain a license; buy the spectrum; undertake all the obligations, including rollout and security; pay their license fees and taxes and they would be welcomed by the telecom fraternity,” the leading telecom operator had said.