The battle to stay ahead in the satellite communications race and gain maximum share in this market has become more intense. A picture of this was seen at the TRAI meeting, when the country’s two big telecom companies were shown competing with Elon Musk’s Starlink. The opinions of both sides were completely different. Where Jio and Airtel came forward in favor of auctioning Satcom spectrum.
On the other hand, Elon Musk’s Starlink company spoke out in favor of the administrative assignment. Experts believe that this war in this sector is still in its initial phase. Already seeing its intensity, one can estimate how openly this struggle will develop in the coming days. Let us also tell you what both sides said in this open meeting organized by Telecom Regulator TRAI.
Who is at war?
Telecom regulator TRAI organized this open debate on the issue of satellite communications spectrum allocation. Along with Starlink, representatives from Reliance Jio and Bharti Airtel also participated. During this time, while Starlink stood firm in favor of administrative allocation of satellite spectrum, traditional telecom service providers Jio and Airtel reiterated the demand for auctioning this spectrum. The Elon Musk-led company Starlink said on Friday that it maintains full transparency in satellite communication (satcom) service prices and accusations of keeping charges for satellite Internet service extremely low are erroneous and unfortunate.
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Jio’s logic
Jio said it is not afraid of competition, but the same rules should apply for similar services. Jio official Ravi Gandhi said we are working in a very competitive market. We are not afraid of competition. But here the question is different. In fact, companies that want to provide telecommunications services through satellite fear competition and that is why they want this type of security. During the open discussion, Starlink Satellite Communications Director Pernil Urdhvareshe said Indian users want satellite broadband service and have the right to choose an operator that provides high-quality and affordable service.
The Starlink side
He said prices for Starlink services for any country are easily available on their website. He said allegations that Next Generation Communication System provides services at very low rates are unfortunate and completely false. We maintain full transparency on Starlink pricing and performance around the world. According to Urdhvareshe, Starlink’s operational experience in 113 countries shows that users choose satellite broadband when they have no other options due to coverage, reliability or affordability.
What does the government believe?
Musk’s Starlink company and Amazon’s Project Kuiper support administrative allocation of satellite communications spectrum. Jio and Airtel believe that providing satellite broadband spectrum at a predetermined price by the government will create an uneven playing field. However, Communications Minister Jyotiraditya Scindia clarified the government’s position on the matter and stated that the administrative allocation of satellite spectrum is in line with the global trend.
