Elon Musk reacts to Mukesh Ambani’s call for satellite spectrum auction
Starlink boss Elon Musk said India’s move to auction satellite broadband spectrum rather than allocate it would be “unprecedented”, reacting to a Reuters story that rival billionaire Mukesh Ambani is lobbying for the auction route.
In what is seen as a battle between two billionaires, Starlink said the allocation of administrative licenses was in line with global trends, while Ambani’s Reliance said the auction was needed to have a level playing field because Foreign companies can provide voice and data services as well as compete. with traditional telecommunications companies.
On Sunday, Reuters reported that Ambani’s Reliance had argued that India’s telecommunications regulator wrongly concluded that home satellite broadband spectrum should be allocated rather than auctioned without seeking industry feedback. and the consultation process must start all over again.
Reacting to the news, Musk wrote on X that any decision to auction the likes of which Reliance is lobbying “would be unprecedented”.
“This spectrum has long been designated by the ITU as shared spectrum for satellites,” he wrote late Monday on X, referring to the International Telecommunication Union (ITU), a specialized agency of the Union. United Nations on digital technology.
India is a member of the ITU and a signatory to the satellite spectrum management treaty and advocates that allocation be done “in a reasonable, efficient and economic manner” as it is “a valuable natural resource.” term”.
Reliance did not respond to a request for comment on Tuesday. It previously told Reuters that it was “imperative” for the Indian regulator to consult on the approach to spectrum allocation.
The method of providing spectrum for satellite services in India – a market expected to grow 36% per year to reach $1.9 billion by 2030 – has been a controversial issue since last year.
Musk’s Starlink and global partners like Amazon’s Project Kuiper support administrative allocation, arguing that it is a natural resource that should be shared by companies. Ambani, Asia’s richest man, is arguing over the auction process.
Reliance’s latest lobbying move in India has added to the standoff with Musk, who wants to launch Starlink services in India but voted for the spectrum allocation route, in which the government only allocates spectrum to companies.
An Indian government source told Reuters on Sunday that the regulator was following a legal consultation process.
