India to allot satellite internet airwaves without auction in win for Elon Musk
Reliance Jio, country's biggest telecom operator, however had disagreed and told government that an auction is the right approach, similar to 5G spectrum distribution in India. Foreign satellite service providers could offer voice and data services and compete with traditional telecom players, and so there must be an auction to achieve a level playing field, Reliance had argued.
"By bypassing traditional auctions, this pragmatic method is poised to expedite the deployment of satellite services more efficiently," said Anil Prakash, Director General at SIA-India, a satellite industry body. India's satellite broadband service market is expected to grow 36% a year to reach $1.9 billion by 2030, according to Deloitte.
Monday's draft telecom bill also empowers India's government to suspend or prohibit use of telecom equipment from specific countries on the grounds of national security. Milestone Alert!
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