Trai pegs spectrum charges for satcom cos like Starlink at 4% of revenue; says levy not a blow to telcos

Telecom regulator Trai on Friday recommended that satellite communication companies like Starlink should pay 4 per cent of their adjusted gross revenue (AGR) as spectrum charges to the government — a rate steeper than what these firms had been lobbying for. Operators offering satellite-based broadband internet services in urban areas would have to shell out an additional Rs 500 per subscriber annually, Trai said in its recommendations to the Department of Telecommunications (DoT). No additional levy would be applicable for services in rural areas.