OneWeb will have first-mover advantage, Starlink will find it tough to crack Indian market: Hughes India MD

Bharti Group-backed OneWeb will have a first-mover advantage in the market, being more prepared to launch commercial satellite-broadband communication (satcom) services in the country, while its global rivals may need nine months to two years to compete, a top official of Hughes Communications India Private Ltd (HCIPL) said.

The executive expects OneWeb to get an interim allocation of spectrum to launch commercial satcom service in the country.

“They [OneWeb] have got the act together and got approvals from DoT (Department of Telecom) and IN-SPACe (Indian National Space Promotion and Authorisation Centre). Their gateways are undergoing trials , and they are ready for commercialisation as soon as the spectrum is allocated,” Shivaji Chatterjee, HCIPL President and Managing Director, told Moneycontrol.

HCIPL is a joint venture between Hughes Communications India and Bharti Airtel to provide satellite broadband services in India. HCIPL is also OneWeb’s distribution partner to provide Low Earth Orbit (LEO) connectivity services across India.

Hughes, through its parent company EchoStar, is a shareholder in OneWeb.