Satellite communication services in India will be rolled out only after operators meet security requirements and spectrum pricing is finalised, Union telecom minister Jyotiraditya Scindia said, adding that the government is also examining issues related to Vodafone Idea (Vi).In an interview to PTI, Scindia said players such as Elon Musk-owned Starlink, Eutelsat One and Jio Satellite Global Services (SGS) will get spectrum once the Department of Telecommunications (DoT) completes the pricing process and companies comply with security norms.“There are two issues that need to be addressed. One by the licence holders OneWeb, Reliance Jio, and Starlink, which is to comply with security clearances regarding international gateways, ensuring data remains in India, and so on,” Scindia said.He said the government has already allocated provisional spectrum to satcom companies to allow them to demonstrate compliance with security agencies. “They are in the process of doing that, so they need to comply,” he added.On spectrum pricing, Scindia said the matter is being handled by the DoT and the Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (Trai). “Hopefully that should be resolved soon,” he said.Trai and the DoT have differed on several aspects of spectrum allocation for satcom services. Earlier this month, Trai rejected a number of DoT proposals, including levying a 5 per cent annual spectrum fee instead of 4 per cent and removing a Rs 500 per-connection charge in urban areas. The DoT is expected to place its views before the Digital Communication Commission (DCC), the apex decision-making body in the telecom sector, which will decide the future course of action, including whether Cabinet approval is required.On Vodafone Idea, Scindia said the department is still examining the company’s request for relief. “We are today applying our minds on that. It is work in progress within the Department of Telecommunications,” he said.Vodafone Idea has told the DoT that its liabilities to the government stand at around Rs 2 lakh crore, including Rs 1.19 lakh crore in spectrum dues. The company has warned that without support, the Centre could face losses due to non-recovery of dues and erosion of equity value. The Supreme Court has allowed the government to address the matter within its policy-making powers.Asked about concerns over repeated relief to Vi, Scindia said no such relief has been extended so far. “We have not given any relief as such. We have converted our dues into equity. Therefore, we hold a 49 per cent equity stake in Vodafone against dues of close to, if I recall correctly, Rs 37,000 crore. That is now the Government of India’s equity stake in that company,” he said.In the absence of further relief, Vodafone Idea is required to pay around Rs 18,000 crore by March 2026 and a similar amount annually for the next six years. Its annual liabilities are more than double its operational cash generation, which has been about Rs 8,400–9,200 crore over the past three years.Vi has warned that any threat to its operations could push the market into a duopoly and lead to higher telecom tariffs. Scindia, however, said India’s telecom market remains competitive.“If you look at countries across the world, very few can boast of four providers of telecom services. India today has four very robust telcos,” he said, adding that Vodafone Idea and BSNL together still serve over 300 million customers. “We would like to see that continue.”
Satcom rollout: Services to start after security clearances and spectrum pricing; telecom minister Jyotiraditya Scindia gives this update
