The Digital Communications Commission (DCC) has approved most of the Telecom Regulatory Authority of India’s recommendations on satellite spectrum allocation. The DCC is the Department of Telecommunications’ (DoT) top decision-making body. The move brings Starlink, Eutelsat OneWeb and Jio Satellite Communications closer to launching commercial services in India, according to an Economic Times report.
The DCC took the decision at its September 3 meeting. The Department of Telecommunications (DoT) will now seek Union Cabinet approval for the spectrum pricing and allocation framework. Satellite operators still cannot begin commercial services until the government formally assigns spectrum and grants the required security clearances.
What the DCC approved
The DCC has backed a five-year spectrum assignment period, with the possibility of a two-year extension. While TRAI had recommended charging satellite operators 4% of their adjusted gross revenue (AGR) as an annual spectrum fee, DoT has favoured a 5% levy. Reports indicate that services in rural and remote areas could face a lower 4% charge.
TRAI had also proposed a minimum annual spectrum charge of Rs 3,500 per MHz and an additional Rs 500 per subscriber per year for non-geostationary orbit (NGSO) operators serving urban areas. It had recommended financial support for user terminals in underserved rural and remote regions, where hardware can cost Rs 20,000-50,000. However, reports indicate that DoT did not accept the urban subscriber levy and terminal subsidy proposals because implementation mechanisms were not in place.
The framework applies to both geostationary and non-geostationary satellite services. Operators such as Starlink and OneWeb use NGSO systems, including low- and medium-earth-orbit constellations, to provide lower-latency broadband.
Why this matters
The approval addresses one of the biggest regulatory gaps that had kept satellite broadband operators from launching their services in India. In June, DoT’s draft rules covered several traditional satellite services under administrative spectrum assignment. However, they did not set pricing or conditions for NGSO broadband operators. This left Starlink, OneWeb and Jio without a final route to commercial spectrum.
The companies have already secured key licences and space-sector approvals. Starlink received its Global Mobile Personal Communication by Satellite licence from DoT in June 2025 and IN-SPACe approval for its first-generation constellation in July 2025. OneWeb and Jio have also received the necessary telecom and IN-SPACe approvals.
Security clearances still remain
Spectrum, however, was only one of the unresolved issues. Security agencies under the Ministry of Home Affairs have also been examining risks linked to satellite networks. These include signal spillover near India’s borders and the government’s ability to enforce security requirements on foreign operators. The scrutiny has covered Starlink as well as OneWeb and the Jio-SES venture.
Starlink had disputed reports in June that its approvals had been frozen. Lauren Dreyer, Vice President of Starlink Business Operations at SpaceX, commented on the reports. She said the company “remains in active and productive discussions with the Government of India contrary to misleading stories based upon unsubstantiated claims from anonymous sources.”
The spectrum decision therefore brings India’s satellite broadband framework closer to completion, but commercial launches still depend on Cabinet approval, formal spectrum assignment and the remaining security clearances.
Read more
