DoT bats for auction of satellite spectrum

Subject: Economy

Section: Monetary Policy

Context:

The Department of Telecommunications (DoT) is batting decisively for the auction of satellite spectrum. After nearly two years of intense lobbying from satellite players, including Low Earth Orbit (LEO) players such as OneWeb, Telesat and Starlink — who were seeking administrative assignment of satellite spectrum
As the soon-to-be-announced new space policy is likely to encourage private entrants into the Satcom space, satellite players were eyeing spectrum between 27.5 to 31.5 GHz to provide new services such as satellite broadband.
Telecom operators were also eyeing spectrum between 27.5GHz to 28.5 GHz for 5G, and the government had decided during deliberations for 5G auctions that this band would be shared between satellite players as well as telcos and be used for mixed-use purposes.
As India reckons with a new age of telephony with 5G, new technologies such as low latency satellite broadband and satellite backhaul will also make entry into the Indian market.
Big tech giants such as Amazon’s Kuiper, Elon Musk’s Starlink and Sunil Mittal’s OneWeb are eyeing the Indian market, as regulators deliberate on the new wave of regulations for the upcoming technologies.

Satellite Internet and LEO Technology:

Positioning of Satellites: LEO satellites are positioned around 500km-2000km from earth, compared to stationary orbit satellites which are approximately 36,000km away.
Latency: Latency, or the time needed for data to be sent and received, is contingent on proximity.
- As LEO satellites orbit closer to the earth, they are able to provide stronger signals and faster speeds than traditional fixed-satellite systems.
- Additionally, because signals travel faster through space than through fibre-optic cables, they also have the potential to rival if not exceed existing ground-based networks.
Higher Investment: LEO satellites travel at a speed of 27,000 kph and complete a full circuit of the planet in 90-120 minutes.
- As a result, individual satellites can only make direct contact with a land transmitter for a short period of time thus requiring massive LEO satellite fleets and consequently, a significant capital investment.
- Due to these costs, of the three mediums of Internet – fibre, spectrum and satellite – the latter is the most expensive.