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Reliance Jio and Bharti Airtel have expressed concern over low prices of satellite spectrum, which can benefit companies like Starlink. COAI has demanded reconsideration of price structure from TRAI.
Highlights
- Reliance Jio and Airtel expressed concern over low prices of satellite spectrum.
- COAI demanded a reconsideration of satellite spectrum price structure from TRAI.
- Satellite services can be cheaper and competitive than terrestrial broadband.
New Delhi. India’s leading telecom companies, Reliance Jio and Bharti Airtel, have expressed concern over the proposed prices of satellite spectrum. He says that “unfairly low” rates can damage their business, while satellite like Elon Musk’s Starlink can benefit internet providers. According to the report by news agency Reuters, the Cellular Operators Association of India (COAI) representing these companies on May 29, wrote a letter to the Ministry of Telecom, urging to reconsider the price structure proposed by the Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI).
Companies are afraid of what
COAI’s letter states that satellite services can provide cheaper and competitive options compared to terrestrial broadband. The requirement of equal opportunity in the letter has been emphasized. Reliance Jio and Bharti Airtel, who have invested approximately $ 20 billion in a 5G spectrum auction in recent year and are afraid that satellite providers may provide similar wireless broadband services at low cost.
The debate on spectrum allocation has intensified, in which Reliance was earlier in favor of auction, while Starlink was advocating administrative licensing, arguing that the spectrum is a shared natural resource. Despite the Starlink Division’s signing of the Destructive deals in March, both Reliance and Airtel are set to compete with the American company after the launch of the US company in India.
