A satellite-to-phone connection would depend on more than the satellite operator. TRAI’s latest recommendations put mobile operators, spectrum rights and wholesale network contracts at the centre of the proposed business model.
Released on November 5, the recommendations propose a new Satellite Communication Network Provider authorisation. Holders could supply network services to eligible telecom providers, but could not sell telecom services directly to users under that authorisation. These remain recommendations to the government, rather than an operational permission or a commercial launch.
The Breakdown
The proposed structure would let a service provider obtain satellite-network capability from another company. That separates the business of supplying the network from the business of serving customers.
TRAI recommends permitting direct-to-device services through two spectrum routes: frequencies allocated for mobile satellite services, and IMT spectrum used for mobile communications.
For the mobile-spectrum route, the proposed condition is significant. One or more access-service operators collectively holding the relevant frequency channel across all 22 licensed service areas would have to agree to its use. The satellite network could provide that service only to those participating operators.
TRAI also proposes that this route operate on a non-interference, non-protection basis. It recommends proceeding without waiting for the 2027 World Radiocommunication Conference, while allowing subsequent government decisions after the conference to apply.
Why This Matters
The proposal makes coordination across spectrum holdings part of the route to market. A satellite network and a willing partner in one region would not, on their own, satisfy the recommended nationwide condition for using mobile spectrum.
The financial terms also distinguish the two sides of the partnership. TRAI proposes an authorisation fee of 8% of adjusted gross revenue for satellite-network providers. For the mobile-spectrum route, it recommends no additional spectrum charge on the partnering access provider for that satellite use of its assigned spectrum; the existing charging framework would continue.
These are proposed regulatory terms. They do not establish the price a customer would pay.
What to Watch
The next questions concern government acceptance, the resulting authorisation and spectrum conditions, and agreements between providers. Device support matters too: for the mobile-satellite-spectrum route, TRAI recommends encouraging manufacturers to add the necessary modules to future smartphones after the recommendations are accepted.
The Crunch
The proposed route to satellite-to-phone connectivity joins a wholesale network to an authorised customer-service business. Its practical reach would depend on the spectrum agreements, safeguards and compatible devices that connect those pieces.
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