New Delhi [India], May 20 : Union Minister of Communications Jyotiraditya Scindia on Tuesday expressed confidence that India's satellite telecom network will likely be the fastest in the world.
With the Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI) releasing regulations for administrative assignment, multiple players have already obtained licenses.
Scindia anticipates the satellite network rollout to be the fastest globally, driven by growing demand and technological advancements.
"We are now seeing the new technology of satellite telecom communication. Satellite technology is complementary to our service book. TRAI has come up with their regulations for administrative assignment. Multiple players have availed of a license, and I am very confident that this rollout on the satellite network will probably be the fastest in the world in the years to come."
Recently, Airtel and Jio partnered with Starlink to bring the latter high-speed satellite internet services to their customers in India.
Starlink is still awaiting official authorisation from Indian regulatory bodies, which include IN-SPACe and the Department of Telecommunications.
Commerce Minister Piyush Goyal met a delegation from Elon Musk-owned satellite internet services company Starlink on April 16.
"Discussions covered Starlink's cutting-edge technology platform, their existing partnerships & future investment plans in India," Minister Goyal wrote on X, post the meeting.
Satellite technology will complement existing mobile services, enhancing connectivity in remote areas where conventional telecom services are costly.
Satellite telecom in India will help the country provide much-needed services to remote interior places where conventional telecom services tend to be costly.
The Indian satellite broadband market is projected to reach USD 1.9 billion by 2030, making it an attractive opportunity for players like Starlink and Amazon Kuiper.
Further, Scindia shared the vision and said that telecom's growth rates are unlike any other in the world.
On the satellite recommendations given by TRAI, Union Minister Scindia said, "TRAI has done its job of giving recommendations. Based on the recommendations, we will be able to push forward this policy. We were eager to push this policy as soon as possible. TRAI has done its job, and now the onus is on the government."
The minister said the government has allocated Rs 26,316 crores for setting up nearly 9,300 towers for 5G services, with another 11,000 towers to be installed.
Scindia said the focus is on domestic manufacturing, low-cost handsets, and rural connectivity to boost India's digital growth further.
Notably, India has become a global leader in digital transactions, with UPI applications facilitating 46% of the world's digital transactions.
"The thrust is on rural connectivity, which will power India further. Today, India has become the capital of digital transactions across the world. Our UPI application has resulted in close to 46 per cent of the world's digital transactions, close to 1.7 2 billion transactions, leading to USD 2.85 trillion per annum. That has been the capability of our UPI network," he added.
Scindia emphasised the importance of quality standards, commending TRAI for creating its quality benchmarks and stressing the need for Six Sigma standards.
The Union Minister added, "Quality provision of our connectivity and cost is something that I have laid a lot of stress on in the last 11 months, since taking over this ministry. I'd also like to commend TRAI for creating its quality standards. We must stress on six sigma. It's important to ensure that we have the largest, second-largest market in the world, but it must also be defined by the highest cost quality of service in the world."
He said, "We have done a very detailed study. According to what TRAI has come out in terms of regulations, it is my sincere hope that all our telco providers will move up the value chain in terms of quality of service, not up to international benchmarks, but beyond international benchmarks."
The Union Minister said that online safety and security are crucial. The telecom department operationalised the Sanchar Saathi portal and mobile app to tackle fake mobile connections and phone theft, resulting in the disconnection of almost 3.4 crore fake mobile connections.
He added that about 30 lakh mobile connections have been blocked, and about 17 lakh phones have now been recovered through the Sanchar Saathi portal.