Reliance pushes India again for satellite spectrum auction

Indian billionaire Mukesh Ambani’s Reliance on Friday again asked the country’s telecom regulator to check the feasibility of an auction for satellite spectrum allocation, weeks after the country clarified that it will allot spectrum administratively.

Ravi Gandhi, a top policy executive with Reliance, said a move to allot satellite spectrum on a first-come first-serve basis is “flawed” and “discriminatory.”

His comments came at an open house discussion on the topic, conducted by the Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI), and also attended by representatives from including billionaire Elon Musk’s Starlink and telecom firm Bharti Airtel.

India’s move to allocate the spectrum administratively is seen as a win for Musk’s Starlink, which has expressed interest in launching in India, but has faced repeated regulatory roadblocks.