Satellite broadband and spectrum: How India assigned SatCom airwaves
Telecom questions increasingly test spectrum economics, auction versus administrative assignment, and the orbit vocabulary. The 2026 decision and the concepts behind it are covered together.
The decision
India assigned spectrum for satellite communication services administratively, with a usage charge. This resolved a long contest.
The terrestrial operators demanded auctions.
The satellite operators argued that satellite spectrum is shared, not exclusive, and cannot be auctioned like mobile airwaves.
The Telecommunications Act, 2023 provided the statutory route, listing administrative assignment for a schedule of services.
Sources: TRAI · Department of Telecommunications
The players
| Player | Role |
|---|---|
| Eutelsat OneWeb (Bharti) | LEO broadband constellation |
| Jio–SES | Joint venture for satellite connectivity |
| Starlink (SpaceX) | LEO broadband, seeking market entry |
The orbit vocabulary
Low Earth orbit (LEO). OneWeb and Starlink fly close to Earth, giving low latency at the cost of many satellites.
Geostationary orbit (GEO). Satellites such as India's GSAT series sit at 36,000 km, covering large footprints with a single satellite but higher latency.
Medium Earth orbit (MEO). Navigation satellites, including NavIC's regional constellation, sit in between.
The GMPCS licence. Global Mobile Personal Communication by Satellite, the regulatory instrument for satellite phone and broadband services.
The exam's through-line
Two threads recur.
Spectrum jurisprudence. The Supreme Court's 2G judgment (2012) made auction the default for scarce, exclusive spectrum. Satellite's administrative assignment is the reasoned exception for shared resources.
Connectivity. Satellite broadband complements BharatNet by reaching villages where fibre cannot. Rural connectivity framing always accompanies the policy question.
Prelims traps
| Statement | True or False |
|---|---|
| "Satellite spectrum was assigned by auction" | False. Administrative assignment |
| "The Telecommunications Act, 2023 allows administrative assignment" | True |
| "GEO satellites give lower latency than LEO" | False. LEO gives lower latency |
| "GMPCS licences cover satellite-based services" | True |
Part of: Science and Technology, July 2024 to June 2026
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Source: Telecom Regulatory Authority of India; Department of Telecommunications.