The formation of a new Indian telecommunications industry body has just been announced. It’s called the Satcom Industry Association (SiA-India).
Describing itself as a unified voice for the satellite communications ecosystem in India, SiA-India includes satellite operators and makers of satellite systems, launch vehicles and ground and terminal equipment, as well as application solutions providers.
According to local press reports, SiA-India’s aim is to represent the interests of the industry to high-level government authorities in the policy-making and regulatory spheres as well as for licensing matters.
The timing of the announcement coincides with a period of strong growth for satcoms in India. The government has apparently been opening up the sector to private players, and a growing number of businesses are offering or planning to offer satellite communications services.
However, there’s certainly no doubt that the number of satellites being deployed around the world is increasing – as is demand for valuable spectrum and orbital resources. Thus Malcolm Johnson, deputy secretary-general of the International Telecommunication Union, welcoming the development, noted that collaboration will be vital across industries, regulators, governments, and regional and international bodies, adding, “With today’s launch of SiA-India, the communications satellite industry in India will speak with one voice.”
India’s Economic Times newspaper pointed out, however, that tariffs for satellite broadband services continue to remain high in the country, something that encouraged the Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI) to publish a consultation paper earlier this month, seeking views from stakeholders.
