India backs Musk in satellite spectrum allocation row

India announced on Tuesday it would allocate spectrum for satellite services through administrative means rather than auction, a decision that aligns with recent comments by Elon Musk and rebuffs lobbying efforts by the country’s largest telecom operators.

Jyotiraditya Scindia, India’s Communications Minister, stated on Tuesday evening: “Spectrum for satcomm is shared spectrum, and cannot be auctioned. The administrative allocation of satellite spectrum is practised worldwide.”

This move favors Musk’s Starlink and Amazon’s Project Kuiper, who have advocated for shared spectrum allocation. It contradicts Reliance Jio’s position, led by India’s richest man Mukesh Ambani, which has pushed for auctions to ensure a “level playing field”.

Musk had warned on Monday that satellite spectrum auctions “would be unprecedented”, citing long-standing ITU designations of shared satellite spectrum.

The decision escalates the billionaire battle over India’s satellite internet market. Sunil Mittal, co-chair of Eutelsat and chair of Bharti Airtel, argued earlier on Tuesday that satellite companies serving urban areas should “take the telecom licenses like everybody else” and buy spectrum accordingly.

“Therefore, mobile operators and satcom operators, who have worked in harmony for decades, can continue to do so to serve those who are still struggling to find internet connectivity,” Airtel said in a statement released following Mittal’s comments.

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