OneWeb Gets Nod For Satellite Broadband Service In India, Will Govt Now Decide On Satellite Spectrum Allocation? Eutelsat OneWeb is ready to deploy as soon as it receives the final spectrum authorization to launch commercial services, says Sunil Bharti Mittal, Bharti Group Chairman

Bharti Enterprises satcom venture OneWeb, has received permission from the Indian National Space Promotion and Authorisation Center to launch its Eutelsat OneWeb's commercial satellite broadband services in the country. Eutelsat OneWeb, is part of Eutelsat Group.

OneWeb is the first organization to receive this authorization from the government. "We are pleased to note the Indian space regulator's green light to launch Eutelsat OneWeb's commerical satellite broadband services in India. This will be a critical step forward to meet India's ambition of providing internet connectivity for all and will enable the Hon'ble Prime Minister's vision of Digital India. Eutelsat OneWeb is ready to deploy as soon as it receives the final spectrum authorization to launch commercial services," said Sunil Bharti Mittal, Bharti Group Chairman and Vice-President (Co-Chair) of the Board of Directors of Eutelsat Group.

Bridging the connectivity gap around the world requires collaboration across business but also with governments and regulators. "We are pleased to have received these approvals from the space regulator that bring the country a significant step closer to providing high speed connectivity to even the most remote locations," said, Cyril Dujardin, co-general manager, connectivity at Eutelsat Group.

OneWeb India already holds the necessary licences from the Department of Telecommunications to provide broadband services using satellite connectivity. The business has also obtained in principle approval to establish and operate two gateways in Gujarat and Tamil Nadu, which would secure the provision of vital high-speed, low-latency internet connectivity to customers across India, once services are rolled out.

There is anticipation that the government will soon take the decision on satellite spectrum allocation to pave the way for the commencement of next-generation satellite communications in India, "We welcome IN-SPACe authorization to OneWeb India for offering commercial satellite broadband services through LEO satellites in the country. With this move, we are sanguine that the government will soon take the decision on satellite spectrum allocation to pave the way for the commencement of next-generation satellite communications in India," said Lt. Gen. AK Bhatt (Retd.), director general, Indian Space Association (ISpA).

Addressing the inaugural session of India Mobile Congress 2023 in October, Mittal said that OneWeb's constellation of satellites was ready and that users from remote parts of the country would be able to benefit from these services. As part of 5G rollout, Mittal said that Airtel currently covers 5,000 towns and cities as well as 20,000 villages across the country and promised a pan-India rollout of the services by March 2024.