The Department of Telecommunications (DoT) has abolished the network operation and control centre (NOCC) charges that are levied on use of space segments by telecom service providers for satellite telephony, broadband, etc. This is expected to provide a fillip to upcoming satellite broadband companies. The NOCC levy regime was introduced in 2003, and the DoT levied Rs 21 lakh per transponder every year for 36 MHz of spectrum on a pro-rata basis. Additionally, the government also charged Rs 6,000 for every trial of antenna that is used for receiving and transmitting signals. “There shall be no NOCC charges for use of space segment for all DoT licensees for commercial and captive VSAT services, GMPCS (satellite phone service), NLD (national long distance) and other telecom licensees having unified licence or standalone license. This order shall be effective from April 1, 2022,” DoT said in an order dated May 6. The Network Operations & Control Center was created under the DoT to control the transmissions from ground segment, or satellite earth stations, along with the master control facility under Department of Space to manage the operation of satellites in orbit. Responding to the move, AK Bhatt, Director General, Indian Space Association, said: “We believe that these progressive policy steps are in the right direction and showcase the government’s commitment in supporting the growth of digital communication by leveraging the potential and capability of satellite communication industry”. Currently, Sunil Bharti Mittal’s OneWeb and Elon Musk’s Starlink are the providers planning to launch satellite broadband services in India using low-earth orbit satellites. In February, Reliance Jio had announced that it has formed a joint-venture with Luxembourgish satellite-based content connectivity solutions provider SES, and plans to deliver satellite broadband services across India.
