Trai recommends 50% cut in VSAT entry fee

The Indian telecom regulator has recommended that the entry fee of captive
Very Small Aperture Terminal (VSAT) licence be reduced by 50 per cent from Rs 30 lakh now to Rs 15 lakh, an official said on Tuesday.

"The entry fee for captive VSAT licence may be reduced by 50 per cent, that is, from Rs 30 lakh to Rs 15 lakh," the Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI) said in a statement here.

It also said: "Present annual licence fee at Rs 10,000 per VSAT terminal as being charged presently for VSAT terminals connected to the first Hub shall be maintained for both the first and the second Hub and without levy of any minimum licence fee."

"There is no justification for charging additional 25 per cent amount as reuse factor for a number of VSATs more than the number of carriers. These charges should be eliminated for calculation of Royalty charges," the TRAI said.