Starlink boss Elon Musk has called India's potential move to auction satellite broadband spectrum "unprecedented," in response to a media report suggesting that Mukesh Ambani's Reliance Jio is lobbying for the auction route. Musk's remarks have added a new dimension to the battle between two of the world's richest individuals over the future of satellite broadband in India.
In a post on X, formerly Twitter, Musk reacted to a report on Jio's lobbying with the Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI) for the auction. "That would be unprecedented, as this spectrum was long designated by the ITU as shared spectrum for satellites," Musk wrote. The International Telecommunication Union (ITU), a specialized United Nations agency for digital technology, designates the spectrum as shared for satellite use, and Musk's Starlink has been pushing for administrative allotment of licenses, which it argues aligns with global practices.
The lobbying from Reliance suggests a desire to auction the spectrum rather than allocate it, which Jio believes would create a level playing field, allowing traditional telecom players to compete fairly if foreign players also offered voice and data services through satellite broadband. On Sunday, a Reuters report detailed Reliance's argument that India's telecom regulator had wrongly concluded that spectrum should be allocated and not auctioned without proper industry feedback, demanding a fresh consultation process.
Starlink, owned by Musk's SpaceX, is looking to expand its satellite internet services in India and has advocated for spectrum allocation rather than an auction. Musk's comments were made late on Monday, following a Reuters report, where he reiterated that auctioning this spectrum would go against established ITU norms. India is a member of the ITU and a signatory to its treaty, which advocates for the allocation of spectrum in a "rational, efficient, and economic" manner, given its status as a "limited natural resource."
The spat has escalated the ongoing competition between Musk's Starlink and Ambani's Reliance, as both look to establish a dominant presence in India's emerging satellite broadband market. An Indian government source told Reuters on Sunday that TRAI was following due process for the consultation.
Reliance did not respond to a request for comment on Tuesday, though the company has previously said it is "imperative" for the Indian regulator to consult on the methodology for spectrum assignment, emphasizing the need for transparency in the process.