Industry says Isro’s monopoly fuelling satellite shortages
Hughes Network Systems India president Pranav Roach said: “Yes, we have been writing letters to all departments looking after the policy and implementation of space programmes. All we get to hear is ‘please wait’ or ‘bear with us’ but no clarity is provided as to why the proposal has been overlooked.”
Sources in Isro, however, said while the proposal from JupiterSat has been under consideration as per the SatCom Policy of 2000 and many fundamental aspects of satellite communications such as pricing of Insat transponder capacity, allotment rationale among others have been under discussion. “When allotment rationale of smaller capacities such as part of one transponder or multiple transponders is under deliberation, the matter related to processing the application for a full satellite cannot be viewed in isolation,” an Isro official said.
Similarly, both the industry bodies – VSAT Service Providers Association and the DTH Operators Association – have also been writing to the DoS and Isro asking for an ‘open sky policy’ and the freedom to engage the services of any foreign satellite company without the lengthy and time-consuming bureaucratic process. As reported by FE recently, even the broadcast and telecom sector regulator has written to Isro batting for an open sky policy in order to
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