Musk had warned on Monday that satellite spectrum auctions “would be unprecedented”, citing long-standing ITU designations of shared satellite spectrum. The decision escalates the billionaire battle over India’s satellite internet market. Sunil Mittal, co-chair of Eutelsat and chair of Bharti Airtel, argued earlier on Tuesday that satellite companies serving urban areas should “take the telecom licenses like everybody else” and buy spectrum accordingly. India announced on Tuesday it would allocate spectrum for satellite services through administrative means rather than auction, a decision that aligns with recent comments by Elon Musk and rebuffs lobbying efforts by the country’s largest telecom operators. This move favors Musk’s Starlink and Amazon’s Project Kuiper, who have advocated for shared spectrum allocation. Should spectrum for satellite services be given through administrative means or auction?

