'Satcom rules on global lines'

Vittal advocated the need for telecom service tariffs to go up so that return on capital employed can rise for telcos

- Gulveen Aulakh

Bharti Airtel chief executive Gopal Vittal has hailed the government’s decision to administratively allocate spectrum for satellite broadband as well as backhaul spectrum used for connecting cell sites. "Satellite and backhaul spectrum to be given as administrative allotment is game-changing and aligned with global standards," Vittal said, even as Lok Sabha passed the Telecommunications Bill 2023 through a voice vote on Wednesday.

Satellite broadband will provide coverage in the remotest areas and would complement terrestrial networks, Vittal said in an interview. The technology of satellite connectivity coming directly to smartphones, which would have otherwise led to competition with existing networks and required auction of access spectrum, was still a decade away, he said.

He further noted that reforms in the licensing framework, spectrum harmonization, rationalization of penalties and right of way becoming part of statute in the new telecom bill, will pave way for better quality of service for consumers as telecom would be considered as an essential service.