ITV

Tag: permission

  • Elon Musk’s Starlink clears final regulatory hurdle in India

    Elon Musk’s Starlink clears final regulatory hurdle in India

    MUMBAI: Elon Musk’s satellite internet venture Starlink has finally received the green light from India’s space regulator, In-Space, clearing the last major regulatory roadblock to launch commercial operations in the country.

    On 8 July, the Indian National Space Promotion and Authorisation Centre (In-Space) Igranted Starlink permission to operate its Gen1 non-Indian GSO and NGSO satellite constellation for broadband services over Indian territory. The authorisation is valid until July 7, 2030.

    The nod includes specific frequency band allocations. For gateway beams, Starlink can use uplink bands of 27.5–29.1 GHz and 29.5–30 GHz, and downlink bands of 17.8–18.6 GHz and 18.8–19.3 GHz. For user terminals, the uplink band is 14.0–14.5 GHz (LHCP), while the downlink is 10.7–12.7 GHz (RHCP).

    The approval follows Starlink’s receipt of a Global Mobile Personal Communication by Satellite (GMPCS) licence from the department of telecommunications (DoT), positioning it as the third player—after Eutelsat-OneWeb and Reliance Jio—to secure full clearance to provide satellite broadband in India.

    Next on the to-do list: acquiring administrative spectrum from the government, setting up ground stations, and passing security compliance trials. Starlink plans to establish three gateway stations across the country as part of its rollout.

    Sources say the DoT will soon allocate trial spectrum to facilitate security demonstrations. Final spectrum pricing and allocation guidelines are also expected shortly, following recent recommendations from TRAI.

    Starlink has already inked deals with Indian VSAT providers, signalling a B2B and B2G push ahead of a consumer rollout. Insiders hint that Starlink could soon begin offering direct-to-consumer connections via its website, though pricing is still under wraps. A promotional plan pegged at Rs 840 per month is reportedly on the table, but not officially confirmed.

    The road to India hasn’t been easy. Starlink has waited since 2022 for regulatory approvals, facing national security concerns and policy disputes with Jio over spectrum allocation. Eventually, the government backed Musk’s view that satellite spectrum should be assigned, not auctioned.

    Meanwhile, Amazon’s rival satcom venture, Project Kuiper, remains stuck in regulatory limbo. Despite completing operational and security checks, its application is still under review. Kuiper is proposing a more ambitious infrastructure plan, including 10 gateways and PoPs in Mumbai and Chennai—well ahead of Starlink’s three.

    India, the world’s second-largest internet market, is shaping up as a critical battleground for satellite broadband. With Musk’s firm now officially in the race, the stage is set for a high-stakes space-age showdown.

  • Twelve applicants/channels denied permission to launch private satellite channels in last number, total remains at 869

    Twelve applicants/channels denied permission to launch private satellite channels in last number, total remains at 869

    New Delhi, 8 April: Even though the number of permissions granted to private satellite television channels uplinking from or downlinking into India crossed the 1000 figure for the first time, as many as 138 have been denied permission.

    Thus, the total number of operative channels as on 31 March was 869, of which news and current affairs channels number 394. Thus the number of general entertainment channels is 475.

    Thus, the government had given permission to a total of 1007 channels which included 126 whose permissions were cancelled later. The last list issued on 31 March had said 126 had been refused permission but twelve new channels had been permitted, taking the total to 869. This number remains the same.

    Twenty channels including seven news channels have been permitted to uplink from India but not downlink within the country.  

    A total of 754 channels including 382 GECs are allowed to uplink and downlink in the country while 95 including 80 GECs are uplinked from overseas but allowed to downlink into TV homes in the country.   

    Thus, the number allowed to uplink and downlink in the country has fallen by one even though the number of general entertainment channels has risen by eight. This is because the number of news channels has fallen by eight to 372.

    After 31 January, the news channels cleared are: Zee Bihar Jharkhand; WIO; and Zee 24 Hour Business.

    The Non-News channels cleared are Sab Bangla; Sab Tamil; Sab Punjabi; Sab Marathi; Sab Telugu; Sony Wah; Sony Rox; Jewel Alliance; Star Utsav Movies (Earlier:Star Gold Romance); Maa HD;  Jalsha Movies HD; Star Jalsha HD; Maa Movies HD;  Star Pravah HD; Star Movies Premiere; Star Movies Premiere HD; Fox Crime HD; Rishtey Cineplex; Stay Raw; And Vijay Super.

    The Information and Broadcasting Ministry site (mib.nic.in) also contains the full details of the owners of these channels, the languages in which they will beam, and the date on which the clearance came. However, there are no details of channels denied permission.

  • Twelve applicants/channels denied permission to launch private satellite channels in last number, total remains at 869

    Twelve applicants/channels denied permission to launch private satellite channels in last number, total remains at 869

    New Delhi, 8 April: Even though the number of permissions granted to private satellite television channels uplinking from or downlinking into India crossed the 1000 figure for the first time, as many as 138 have been denied permission.

    Thus, the total number of operative channels as on 31 March was 869, of which news and current affairs channels number 394. Thus the number of general entertainment channels is 475.

    Thus, the government had given permission to a total of 1007 channels which included 126 whose permissions were cancelled later. The last list issued on 31 March had said 126 had been refused permission but twelve new channels had been permitted, taking the total to 869. This number remains the same.

    Twenty channels including seven news channels have been permitted to uplink from India but not downlink within the country.  

    A total of 754 channels including 382 GECs are allowed to uplink and downlink in the country while 95 including 80 GECs are uplinked from overseas but allowed to downlink into TV homes in the country.   

    Thus, the number allowed to uplink and downlink in the country has fallen by one even though the number of general entertainment channels has risen by eight. This is because the number of news channels has fallen by eight to 372.

    After 31 January, the news channels cleared are: Zee Bihar Jharkhand; WIO; and Zee 24 Hour Business.

    The Non-News channels cleared are Sab Bangla; Sab Tamil; Sab Punjabi; Sab Marathi; Sab Telugu; Sony Wah; Sony Rox; Jewel Alliance; Star Utsav Movies (Earlier:Star Gold Romance); Maa HD;  Jalsha Movies HD; Star Jalsha HD; Maa Movies HD;  Star Pravah HD; Star Movies Premiere; Star Movies Premiere HD; Fox Crime HD; Rishtey Cineplex; Stay Raw; And Vijay Super.

    The Information and Broadcasting Ministry site (mib.nic.in) also contains the full details of the owners of these channels, the languages in which they will beam, and the date on which the clearance came. However, there are no details of channels denied permission.

  • Red FM gets HC nod to participate in FM Phase III auctions

    Red FM gets HC nod to participate in FM Phase III auctions

    NEW DELHI: The Delhi High Court, which had earlier permitted Digital Radio Broadcasting Ltd, which runs Red FM to take part in the mock e-auction, today (26 July) gave the company permission to take part in the main e-auction for FM Phase III commencing tomorrow (27 July).

     

    Justices Badar Durrez Ahmed and Sanjeev Sachdeva pronounced the order on a Sunday in view of the urgency of the matter. 

     

    The court had yesterday heard detailed arguments by Red FM counsel Kapil Sibal for Red FM who said that there was no security issue involved even in the light of the cases against the Maran brothers. He also said this amounted to curbs on the freedom of the media.

     

    Government standing counsel Sanjiv Narula, who had said there was no question of postponement of the e-auctions as that would have a cascading effect.

     

    It had been pointed out by Sibal that the Madras High Court had already permitted three sister companies to take part in the main e-auction. However, Narula said the Madras High Court’s single judge order was not binding upon the division bench of Delhi High Court.

     

    The Court had earlier termed as “incongruent” the denial of security clearance to Red FM to participate in the Stage III FM auction due to its association with the Sun TV Group, while Madras High Court had allowed it to take part. 

     

    The bench said while the Madras HC has allowed the Sun TV Group to participate in the auction, the Centre has denied the same relief to Digital Radio Broadcasting Ltd, due to its association with the Maran-run group.

     

    The Madras High Court, while passing orders on 23 July, asked that the results of the auction be kept in a sealed cover till further orders and said that it would be subject to the result of the main writ petition filed by the group, which has sought a direction to quash the order passed by the Information and Broadcasting Ministry. 

     

    The Ministry had filed an affidavit in the Delhi High Court stating that Red FM’s plea for security clearance to participate in stage III of FM auctions was not maintainable as it is seeking judicial review of a ‘policy decision.’

     

    Earlier on 22 July, the Delhi High Court had allowed Red FM to take part in mock auctions for the third phase of e-auctions after Narula told the Court that it was not possible for the Ministry to postpone the main FM auctions. He said the entire process had been lined and any postponement will have a cascading effect.

     

    Red FM is among the prime bidders in the phase III of FM auctions covering 135 radio channels in 69 cities.

     

    The Ministry had last week issued a list of 21 bidders, which did not include the Group’s Red FM, and then sent a formal communication to the Group on 15 July that it had been denied permission.

     

    Red FM has pleaded to the Court that the Centre should permit Sun Group to migrate to the Phase-III regime by allowing it to resubmit the application of 20 March, 2015 to participate in the e-auction.

     

    The petitions also said the company was not involved in any dispute with the nation’s security, nor had it broadcast anything that affected the security of the nation.

     

    Apart from the denial to participate in Phase III FM auctions, the order also implied that the sister companies of the Sun Group would be compelled to close down FM radio stations, totalling 45 across the nation, the petitioners said.

  • Red FM ecstatic at winning legal battle; reiterates commitment to reach smaller cities

    Red FM ecstatic at winning legal battle; reiterates commitment to reach smaller cities

    NEW DELHI: Red FM, which was allowed to participate in the first batch of private FM Phase III auction earlier today by the Delhi High Court, is indeed heaving a sigh of relief, which is slated to commence from 27 July.

     

    Reaffirming faith in the country’s judicial system, Red FM COO Nisha Narayanan said, “We feel that the Delhi High Court has accepted our submission that we have no connection with the reasons for denial of security clearance and rejection of our application.”

     

    Emphasising that the Court had only read out the operative portion and the full judgment was not available yet, Narayanan added, “We will continue with auction according to our plans of bidding for more frequencies. We are one of country’s largest networks of FM stations and hopefully post the final outcome of these auctions we shall retain our leadership status.”

     

    She expressed her pleasure for the permission to participate in the auction of first batch of private FM Radio Phase III channels starting from 27 July.

     

    Expressing joy that the issue had been settled Narayanan said, “From the beginning we had kept a sizeable sim of money to be spent on these auctions (through which government stands to earn with go ahead on our participation). Our inclusion means healthy competition and will benefit the entire FM radio industry and media and entertainment industry at large.”

     

    She said RED FM not only reaches to some of the smaller cities but also gives the local music and entertainment industry a voice. It always believes in being a socially active and relevant entertainment medium, creating employment opportunities for local youth specially women and become a voice of city wherever it operates its station. 

     

    “In Phase III, we also have plans of going ahead with the philosophy of nurturing not only commercially viable bigger metro cities but also reaching out to the last corner of the country,” she noted.

     

    “At the end of Phase II we had the highest number of stations in North East and three-tier and four-tier cities as a network. This is something which we will continue in Phase III also,” she added.

  • Broadcaster files case against hotel for showing TV channels without permission

    MUMBAI: A hotel Enclave in the Mumbai suburb of Khar was raided a few days ago for violation of copyright and theft of signals of ESPN Star Sports and Zee turner. Raid was jointly carried out by ESPN Star Sports and Zee Turner through its authorised representatives Novex Communication.

    An FIR was filed by along with equipments/related materials from the hotel. The equipments and related materials was also seized by the police.

    The hotel needs to take authorisation from the broadcaster directly and not through any cable operator/MSO. Under section 2(7) 1930 of sales of goods Act, if any channel is shown without our permission, it’s against the copyright act.

    Novex Communication GM Anurag Parmar says, “We once again request all commercial establishments, hotels and everybody who does this kind of thing to please avoid it.”