Bharti Airtel (Airtel) has finished building two base stations in Gujarat and Tamil Nadu, India, and is now awaiting spectrum allocation for its satellite internet services.
Rajan Bharti Mittal, Vice Chairman of Bharti Enterprises, confirmed that Airtel's satellite infrastructure is ready, the base stations are completed, and the service now only requires final approval from the central government. This development underscores Airtel’s commitment to expanding internet access to underserved areas, in line with India’s goal of promoting digital inclusion.
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Mittal also emphasized Bharti Enterprises' advancements in the satellite telecom industry, revealing that the company has successfully launched 635 satellites and is offering services in multiple regions globally.
Regarding the debate on whether spectrum should be allocated via an administrative process or an auction, Mittal reiterated Bharti Airtel's stance, asserting that satellite companies should be obligated to pay licensing fees and acquire spectrum through auctions, similar to traditional telecom operators.
“We are all saying it should be a level playing field. The unconnected areas where the terrestrial networks cannot go, this is a great provider of services, especially for broadband. So, it must be kept in mind that the satcom services which are being given in far-flung areas and also in maritime or defense or other areas, that should have a different kind of a playing field,” he added.
Reliance Jio, led by Akash Ambani, has also advocated for satellite companies to pay a licensing fee and acquire spectrum for their telecom services in the same manner as traditional telecom operators.
Elon Musk’s Starlink and global competitors like Amazon’s Project Kuiper are pushing for an administrative allocation of spectrum for satellite services.
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