Trai junks DoT suggestion to hike satcom spectrum charge to 5%, keeps ₹500 fee for urban users

NEW DELHI: Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (Trai) has rejected the Department of Telecommunications’ (DoT) proposal for a 5% annual spectrum fee for satellite communication (satcom) players, instead reiterating its recommendation for a 4% fee. Trai also disagreed with the DoT’s suggestion to waive a ₹500 per connection fee in urban areas if companies met certain targets for serving remote regions.

The DoT had requested Trai to reconsider its initial recommendation on spectrum allocation and charges for companies like Starlink, Eutelsat OneWeb, and Jio SES. These companies are preparing to launch satellite communication services in India.