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The Digital Communications Commission (DCC), the Department of Telecommunications' apex decision-making body, approved most of TRAI's satellite communication spectrum recommendations at its meeting on 3 September 2026.
Satcom spectrum will be assigned administratively, not auctioned, for five years with a possible two-year extension.
The spectrum usage charge is 5% of adjusted gross revenue (AGR) — higher than TRAI's 4% — with a 4% concession for notified remote and rural areas.
TRAI's proposed ₹500 annual charge per urban subscriber and a Digital Bharat Nidhi subsidy for user terminals were rejected; Cabinet approval is still needed before Starlink, Eutelsat OneWeb and Jio Satellite can launch.
| Item | TRAI (May 2025) | DCC (3 September 2026) |
|---|---|---|
| Method of assignment | Administrative | Accepted — administrative |
| Tenure | 5 years | 5 years, plus a possible 2-year extension |
| Spectrum usage charge | 4% of AGR | 5% of AGR; 4% in remote and rural areas |
| Urban subscriber levy | ₹500 per subscriber per year | Rejected |
| User-terminal subsidy | Via Digital Bharat Nidhi for select rural users | Rejected |
Permits administrative assignment of spectrum for listed uses including satellite services (First Schedule), and renamed the Universal Service Obligation Fund as Digital Bharat Nidhi
Created TRAI, whose recommendations DoT must seek on spectrum pricing and allocation
Apex decision-making body of the Department of Telecommunications; the former Telecom Commission, renamed in 2018
Statutory telecom regulator under the TRAI Act, 1997; made the satcom recommendations in May 2025
Fund for telecom access in underserved areas; successor to the USOF under the Telecommunications Act, 2023
Telecommunications Act, 2023 enacted, enabling administrative assignment of satellite spectrum
TRAI recommends administrative allocation, 4% AGR charge and ₹500 urban levy
DCC approves most recommendations, raising SUC to 5%
Union Cabinet to approve final pricing and allocation
GS Paper III > Infrastructure — telecom; Science and Technology — space applications
General Awareness > Regulators and telecom sector
General Awareness > Current Affairs — science and technology
Adjusted gross revenue — the revenue base on which telecom levies such as licence fee and spectrum usage charge are calculated
A recurring fee, as a percentage of AGR, paid for using assigned spectrum
Allotment of spectrum by the government at a set price, without auction
Successor to the USOF under the Telecommunications Act, 2023, funding connectivity in underserved areas