Reliance Jio, the top telecom service provider in India, has raised objections to the current method of satellite spectrum allocation, thereby instigating a direct face-off with Bharti Airtel-backed OneWeb.

What Happened: Jio has penned a letter to the regulatory authority, asserting that the Telecommunications Act, 2023, does not mandate “administrative allocation as the sole method of assignment” for satellite operators, reported Business Standard.

The telecom giant argues that the Act provides for amendments to the First Schedule, which currently defines services where spectrum can be allocated administratively.

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Jio’s viewpoint is in stark contrast to OneWeb’s insistence on administrative spectrum allocation for satellite operators as stipulated in the Act.

The ongoing tussle over spectrum allocation has been referred to the Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI) on several occasions, with the Department of Telecommunications (DoT) asking for proposals on the terms, conditions, fees or charges for authorising companies to offer telecommunications services under the Act.

Jio contends that the government’s categorisation of certain spectrum usage scenarios is rooted in an ad hoc policy of administrative assignment without a comprehensive assessment of the “technical and economic viability of auctions” or soliciting TRAI’s expert advice.

On the other hand, OneWeb has strongly advocated for administratively assigning spectrum to non-geostationary orbit operators on a provisional basis, until the final rules are issued.

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