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 —has decided that LEO and MEO (Medium-Earth orbit) players will have to participate in spectrum auctions to acquire spectrum, the government said.

The new space policy is likely to encourage private entrants into the Satcom space, satellite players were also eyeing spectrum between 27.5 to 31.5 GHz to provide new services such as satellite broadband.

The new entrants such as OneWeb want to build satellite gateways in this spectrum band, the Hindu reported.

Telecom operators were also eyeing the 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 telcos and be used for mixed-use purposes.

While DoT has sent a reference in that regard to the Telecom Regulatory Authority of India to provide recommendations on how the spectrum would be shared and how will LEO players and MEOs participate in the auctions.

However, the LEOs and MEOs will also have to partake in spectrum auctions to procure spectrum in bands that they do not share with operators.

The DoT has also identified a 37.0 to 42.5 GHz spectrum band, where the department has proposed mixed-use, between telecom operators and Satcom players.

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.