Satcom rollout to begin after Trai finalises spectrum prices: Scindia

Satellite broadband services in the country will begin after companies finalise their rollout plan and the sector regulatory Trai suggests spectrum prices, Union Telecom Minister Jyotiraditya Scindia said on Thursday.

Speaking to reporters at the India Mobile Congress 2025, the minister said that two Satcom players have been given licenses for Satcom services, and a Letter of Intent (LoI) has been issued to another.

"It depends on the players in terms of how quickly they can roll out their execution strategy. There is one issue that Trai has to still finalise the spectrum pricing. That is the pending part, and that regulator will do," Scindia said.

There is growing public anticipation over the Satcom rollout in India, with prominent companies, including billionaire Elon Musk-owned Starlink, Bharti-backed Eutelsat OneWeb, and Reliance Jio-SES, keenly eyeing the high-stakes game of broadband beamed from Indian skies.

The government has granted permits to Eutelsat OneWeb and Jio-SES, and issued a Letter of Intent (LoI) to Starlink.

In response to a question on relief for Vodafone Idea, the minister denied any plan of the government to raise its stake in the debt-ridden firm.