TRAI Recommends all Satellite Spectrum Bands for Low Bitrate Connectivity

On Thursday, Telecom Regulatory Authority of India, TRAI, recommended all satellite frequency bands for use for satellite-based low bitrate connectivity. This move comes as a part of licensing framework for satellite connectivity applications.

TRAI Says Use All Bands for Low Bitrate Satcom

This statement comes after almost a year after the DoT had sought the regulator for views on licensing framework to enable the provisioning of satcom for low bitrate applications. DoT had sought the same in November, 2020.

In a statement, TRAI said that relevant service licensees have to deliver connectivity as per their authorization. The sector regulator also said that this authorization can include any kind of network, such as hybrid model, aggregator model and direct-to-satellite model.

TRAI said, "the relevant existing authorizations under Unified Licensing framework may be suitably amended for enabling satellite-based low-bit-rate connectivity".

The Watchdog, a telecom observatory, also said that the sector regulator should mandate licensees to establish Earth Stations in India; this will be in line with India's IT policies. Further, it recommended that DoT should introduce a comprehensive, simplified, integrated, end-to-end coordinated, single window online common portal for all the agencies involved. It will help streamline granting of various approvals or permissions, it added.

Incidentally, TRAI's move will prove beneficial for remote areas with strategic or economic importance. Such areas can use suitable IoT applications, which were not possible yet due to connectivity issues.

The sector regulator had sought comments from stakeholders with a consultation paper that covered satcom. In March this year, TRAI sought comments on matters such as various models of satellite-based connectivity, orbits, spectrum bands, availability of satellite capacities and enabling requirements in licensing framework.