Even as telecom operators have begun vying for 5G subscribers, India’s communication market is set for space wars. On Saturday, Sunil Mittal-backed OneWeb launched 36 satellites in collaboration with ISRO, at Sriharikota, Andhra Pradesh which will enable the company to start offering satellite broadband services in the country by 2023. This comes within days of Elon Musk-backed Starlink applying for licence to bring satellite broadband connectivity to India.
Sunil Bharti Mittal, Executive Chairman of OneWeb, said: “Today’s launch is a significant milestone for OneWeb. This new phase of our launch programme from India brings us a step closer to not only enhancing our global coverage but also delivering connectivity in India and South Asia, particularly to the communities who need it most.”
High-speed Net
The main advantage of satellite services is that you can provide high-speed internet services in remote areas, where terrestrial networks cannot be set up, for instance in the middle of the ocean, in rugged unreachable terrain such as the Himalayas — even as remote as on top of Mount Everest! In a country with a wide range of geographies such as India, this is especially pertinent, given that 20-25 per cent of the Indian population resides in areas where it is extremely hard for terrestrial operators to set up shop.
But there is still uncertainty around when the Centre will propose the new Draft for the Spacecom policy. In addition to this, India still needs to reckon with the exact allocation procedure they will adhere to, while allocating spectrum to satellite broadband providers. Sources tell businessline that the officials at the TRAI are finding it difficult to zero down the exact procedure through which they will auction satellite spectrum.
While enterprises can promise consumers specific launch dates, according to experts, clarity around regulations especially related to the Spacecom policy and the auction of satellite spectrum is still needed before they can commence offering broadband satellite services.