Amazon finalizing software for satcom licence in India

New Delhi: Amazon is within the last stage of making use of for an working licence for satellite tv for pc communications, following the footsteps of fellow US rival, Elon Musk-backed Starlink, in India.

Four senior trade and ministry officers advised Mint that the Seattle-headquartered agency is within the technique of making use of for a satellite tv for pc communications service operator’s licence for its Project Kuiper service, and can search to formally file it with the ministry of communications’ division of telecommunications (DoT) within the coming weeks.

“Amazon has just lately met with officers inside DoT to grasp issues and roadblocks forward of submitting their satellite tv for pc operators’ licence. They will probably be submitting the licence inside the subsequent few weeks, and hope to obtain approval,” a senior industry official said, requesting anonymity.

A second senior official within DoT said, “There have been meetings with their representatives. They intend to apply, we’ve asked them to ensure all compliances.”

The licence will allow corporations accredited within the sector to supply satellite-based web companies to enterprises, which in flip will probably be used throughout varied industries similar to backhaul for terrestrial communications, maritime and aviation communications.

Responding to Mint’s question, an Amazon spokesperson stated that Project Kuiper “is a long-term initiative for Amazon, and we sit up for working with the Indian authorities and native companions to attach prospects and communities throughout the nation.”

Multiple companies are set to rival one another for a share of the brand new satellite tv for pc web companies market. Elon Musk-backed Starlink, a subsidiary of area companies agency SpaceX, has additionally utilized for an operator’s licence, and is predicted to obtain approval within the coming weeks. Bharti Enterprises-backed satellite tv for pc operator OneWeb, now a part of the French Eutelsat Group, may also supply companies. 

Jio Satellite Communications Ltd, the satellite tv for pc broadband offering arm of Reliance Jio which received its license final 12 months, is learnt to be searching for airwaves for trails, based on one of many officers quoted earlier.  

On Tuesday, Amazon confirmed the launch of its first prototype satellites, and trial companies, in a weblog submit. The firm stated that its “first manufacturing satellites are on observe for launch within the first half of 2024″—and beta testing with the first commercial customers set to begin by the end of 2024.

Project Kuiper by Amazon will use a series of low-earth orbit (LEO) satellites in a constellation to beam internet connectivity down to Earth. Such satellite connectivity will be used to augment on-ground networks, and also offer connectivity services in regions that do not have accessible terrestrial networks.

A third industry official close to the development said that Amazon has been building up to its formal application with the DoT for nearly two years now, and will look to tap into Amazon’s wide enterprise network—owing to its dominance of cloud services through Amazon Web Services (AWS)—to capture a significant market share in this space.

The industry, however, presently awaits a decision by the ministry of communications on how satellite spectrum will be made accessible to operators. While the likes of Starlink and Bharti Enterprises have backed administrative allocation of spectrum, the likes of Reliance Jio and Vodafone-Idea have pushed for auctioning of airwaves—claiming that satellite operators will effectively rival in the same space as terrestrial network service providers. The ministry is yet to take a final decision.

A senior industry official said that this has stalled the ability for companies to start their services. “Bharti Airtel, for instance, has its services ready in India, and is only awaiting spectrum access to commence its services. India is a significant market, and the right administrative decision will be key to ensuring competitive parity in the industry,” she stated.

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Updated: 03 Oct 2023, 10:42 PM IST