DoT Reviews Amazon Kuiper Satcom Bid, Rejects Nelco and Yotta Applications

India’s Department of Telecommunications (DoT) is reviewing an application from Amazon Kuiper Services India to offer satellite-based communication services, It has rejected similar requests from Nelco Ltd and Yotta Network Services Pvt Ltd. 

Amazon Kuiper Application Under Examination 

Responding to a query in the Rajya Sabha, Minister of State for Communications Chandra Sekhar Pemmasani said the DoT is currently scrutinising Amazon Kuiper’s proposal.  

Over the past 5 years, several domestic and global firms have approached the government seeking approvals to operate satellite communication services in India, reflecting growing interest in the sector. 

“The applications of Nelco Ltd and Yotta Network Services Pvt Ltd have been rejected, whereas Connect4sure Technologies Pvt Ltd has withdrawn its application. The application of Amazon Kuiper Services India Pvt Ltd is under examination,” Pemmasani said. 

Licences Granted to OneWeb, Jio and Starlink 

The minister added that the DoT has already issued a unified licence with authorisation for Global Mobile Personal Communication by Satellite (GMPCS) services to OneWeb India Communications Pvt Ltd, Jio Satellite Communications Ltd and Starlink Satellite Communications Pvt Ltd.  

These approvals allow the companies to offer satellite-based connectivity services across the country, subject to regulatory conditions. 

Satellite Connectivity for Remote Regions 

Pemmasani said satellite communication services can play a critical role in expanding connectivity in rural, underserved and unserved areas, including remote, coastal, border and mountainous regions.  

Such areas are often difficult to cover through terrestrial infrastructure such as optical fibre and microwave networks. 

Read More: Amazon Eyes Up to $50 Billion Investment in OpenAI! 

Conclusion 

With Amazon Kuiper’s application still under review, the decision will be closely watched as India prepares for wider adoption of satellite-enabled communication services. 

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