SIA-India Pitches for Balanced Approach for Allocation of the Spectrum for IMT and Satellite

SatCom Industry Association’s (SIA-India) report “A Balanced Approach for Spectrum Allocation – Support for a Thriving 5G/IMT & Satellite Sector in India” was released by Dr. V K Saraswat, Hon’ble Member, NITI Aayog, on Tuesday, 8th March 2022.SIA-India Study Paper Released by Dr. V K Saraswat, Honble Member NITI Aayog 8 March 22In his address Dr. Saraswat said, “I am happy this paper talks about co-existence of diverse technologies and harmonization.” He also emphasised that satellite can certainly serve the various unserved areas and usher significant economic growth with contribution ranging between USD 72-184 billion and will go a long way in meeting the required needs of the industry. The advancements in the satellite industry support dynamic allocation of capacity and multibeam HTS capability, which enable spectrum reuse, and efficient use of spectrum.Dr. V K Saraswat also stated that this study paper by SIA-India has come at a very opportune time and urged SIA-India to conduct a seminar with DoT, DoS, Academia, Industry, and stakeholders working on various devices that would serve this industry. The conference will further help achieve the desired outcome for the ecosystem.The key objective of the SIA-India paper is to promote adoption of a non-discriminatory, technology-neutral spectrum policy in India, which will help create policies to facilitate the entry of new technologies and competitors into the market, encouraging and promoting innovation. Satellite Technology in 28 GHz would be a cost-effective mode to connect the unconnected with high-speed low latency Internet. More than 120 countries (and rising) expressed their intention to follow the ITU decisions and preserve the 27.5-31 GHz and 17.7-21.2 GHz bands for satellite broadband services, this global consensus reaffirms maintaining the 27.5 GHz and above for FSS. Further, a large number of companies, including ISRO have launched several satellites into orbit that are dependent on the 28 GHz Ka-band to receive information transmitted to them from the ground in this frequency band. The impact of the loss of C-band spectrum in the 3.6-3.67 GHz band alone will be felt across the entire INR 700 Bn Indian broadcasting industry carrying 900+ registered channels to 21 Cr Households in urban and rural India through approx. 1730+ digital platform operators and 50000+ cable operators, provides direct and indirect employment to 1.83 Mn people.This paper underscores the need for a holistic assessment of the spectrum requirements for satellite and IMT sectors. A balanced and multi-technology approach enables the creation of ubiquitous connectivity infrastructure in the country for achieving ‘Digital India’ and ‘Broadband for All’ targets. A tech-neutral broadband policy has to be supported by a balanced spectrum allocation policy in line with international standards and international best practices. Spectrum being a scarce national resource should be allocated optimally between all the service types and for the benefits of all the citizens.”Digital India’s development needs to leverage the sustainable development of various technologies, with a strong ecosystem of private players along with a conducive regulatory and policy regime creating a favorable business environment in the country. Terrestrial technologies alone cannot achieve the desired outcomes in regard to the current connectivity gaps in India and a mix of Terrestrial and Satellite technology is urgent and imperative for providing reliable and universal connectivity,” Dr. Subba Rao Pavuluri, President SIA-India & CMD Ananth TechnologiesAbout SIA-IndiaAt SIA-India, as a vibrant body for the satellite communications ecosystem, we aim to present the industrys interest to the Government, Regulators, Policymakers, domestic and international standards bodies for policymaking, regulatory and licensing matters. For more information, please visit www.sia-india.com.