BSNL signals upper hand over rivals in satcom race

New Delhi: As the government prepares to allocate commercial satellite spectrum to private players such as Starlink, Eutelsat OneWeb and Jio Satellite, state-run Bharat Sanchar Nigam Ltd (BSNL) may have an edge, not only because it is already providing satcom services but also because of lower regulatory levies.

BSNL is offering satcom services primarily to strategic users, security agencies and government, and is paying 1% of adjusted gross revenue (AGR) as spectrum charges, according to officials.