OneWeb Likely To Source Locally; Develop Equipment In India

OneWeb has informed DoT that it is planning to source local and satellite communication equipment. It includes ground station infrastructure along with users' access terminals, which means that the company wants to build devices and an entire ecosystem in the country.

OneWeb Plans For India

Notably, OneWeb has assured DoT officials that it will use local Satcom gear makers and it is talking to several domestic players for sourcing equipment. The company informed DoT officials in a meeting. Besides, the company shared the roadmap for making products in the country.

For the unaware, OneWeb is a low earth orbit satellite communication firm and it is competing with Starlink and Project Kuiper. In addition, Starlink also shared that it is also planning to join hands with local satellite players for equipment like terminal devices and antenna systems. The company is all set to launch its services in 2022; however, it requires regulatory approvals.

Meanwhile, OneWeb senior executives asked DoT to speed up the approvals process, so that the company can set up grounds stations and start offering its services in the Ka/Ku (28 GHz/14 GHz) bands in the country. It is worth noting that landing rights are important to start satellite services in India.

Furthermore, OneWeb has already identified land for satellite ground satellites. The company will be setting up in northern and others will be in southern India. The company will start its services after getting the landing rights.

Recommendations Made By Satellite Communication Firms

During the meeting, OneWeb requested DoT to come up with a single-window clearance for all the permits, including GMPCS/VSAT. The firm also said that DoT should reduce the regulatory cost for Satcom services, which means satellite broadband players want services to pocket friendly.

"All services related to satellites require permissions from multiple government authorities, be it for licenses, orbital positions, spectrum allocations, and such decision-making at each level invariably adds to delays and costs for Satcom operators," said Anil Prakash, director-general of the Satcom Industry Association of India.

It is worth noting that the satellite industry might not get major traction like mobile internet as the former services are costlier.