Satellite spectrum not to be allocated on first come first serve basis: Scindia

NEW DELHI: Union minister Jyotiraditya Scindia on Friday asserted that satellite spectrum allocation will not follow a first-come-first-serve basis, while also addressing the recent controversy over personal remarks made against him in Parliament by an Opposition MP.

- HT Correspondent

Speaking at the Times Network's India Economic Conclave, Scindia emphasised that auctioning spectrum for satellite services was not feasible due to scientific constraints. "No country in the world auctions satellites because it's physically impossible. The pricing will be decided by the Telecom Regulatory Authority of India. That authority will assign the price, and based on that, the spectrum will be assigned to everyone that procures a license," he said.

The minister explained that satellite spectrum must be shared due to physical principles, making administrative allocation the global standard.

"You can only auction something that is committed to a certain individual. For satellite phones, you have to point your antenna, and that's when you get the signal, and it keeps shifting," Scindia said.