Satcom spectrum policy must not exclude terrestrial firms: Mittal

Spectrum for satellite connectivity in rural and hard-to-reach areas can be given on shared basis but when it comes to urban areas, Trai and the government need to come out with a policy that does not discriminate against the terrestrial providers, Sunil Mittal, Chairman of Bharti Group, said on Friday, weighing in on one of the most spirited debates raging in the industry in recent times.

Satellite connectivity is indeed required to serve dark, underserved areas, Mittal said, adding, "We fully welcome that".

The top honcho of Bharti Group, considered to be telecom sector stalwart, was speaking on the sidelines of SOUL leadership conclave 2025.

"There are lots of parts of the world and lots of people still living in dark areas which need to be lit up. The only way it can be done is through satellite broadband connectivity," he said.

Mittal added: "We are one of the leading players and waiting for our permissions, and we are providing the services in many parts of the world already. So I think it's a great initiative, and we have already sought our permissions to launch...as soon as we are given a green light, we will launch our services."  Mittal further said that the Group has been very clear that for all the rural, hard-to-reach areas, the spectrum should be given on a shared basis.

"It is only in urban areas, Trai and Department of Telecom (DoT) need to come out with policy which does not discriminate against the terrestrial providers," he said.

Earlier while addressing a session at the conclave, Mittal - when asked about what he considers to be optimum structure for telecom industry - said it should be 3-4 players.

India, he noted, has the lowest telecom tariffs anywhere in the world, allowing users to enjoy 30-60 GB of data a month for two-and-a-half to three dollars.

"I personally feel there will be three to four operators, including BSNL, to serve the country...So I think the right size is three to four, no more than that," he said.