India's Satcom Rollout Likely To Be Fastest Globally: Telecom Minister

New Delhi: India appears poised to see the fastest rollout of the satcom network, with its market expected to surge nearly tenfold to $20 billion by 2028, Communications Minister Jyotiraditya Scindia said on Tuesday.

Scindia noted regulator TRAI has given its views on norms for satcom spectrum, and that it is now for the government to vet the recommendations and push forward the policy. "And as I have mentioned to you we are very eager in pushing forward this policy as soon as possible, so that now they (TRAI) are done with their task, the onus is on us to take it forward," he said. He emphasised that satellite technology is complementary to the current bouquet of terrestrial telecom services.

TRAI has come out with its regulations for administrative assignment of satcom spectrum and multiple players have availed of the licence, he said addressing the World Telecommunications and Information Society Day event organised by Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI). "I am very confident that this rollout of satellite network as well, will probably be the fastest in the world in the years to come, growing from current $2.3 billion market to almost a $20 billion market by 2028, so we are talking about a ten multiple over the next three years...these are growth rates you would probably not see anywhere else in world," Scindia said. Scindia further said that once the permission to operators is given, they will reach far and wide. "The timeline has to be worked out by every single company individually but my assessment is that as a market, we will grow very, very fast," he said.

The minister, however, declined to comment to the question of whether the government would extend support to crisis-ridden Vodafone Idea, after the Supreme Court on Monday dismissed plea on waiver of AGR dues.