Elon Musk clashes with Mukesh Ambani and Sunil Bharti Mittal, Know how the dispute between the billionaires escalated
Elon Musk world’s richest man has targeted Indian billionaires Mukesh Ambani and Sunil Bharti Mittal's demand for allocation of spectrum used in satellite-based internet through auction, calling it 'unprecedented'
Musk targeted, Indian billionaires
Mukesh Ambani's telecom company Reliance Jio has stressed the need to allocate such spectrum through auction to give equal opportunity to old telecom operators. Bharti Airtel chief Mittal also on Tuesday said there is a need to bid for such allocation. However, Musk-led Starlink is demanding administrative allocation of licenses for satellite-based internet in line with the global trend.
Starlink preparing to enter India
Meanwhile Elon Musk's companey Starlink is planning to enter India, the world's fastest growing mobile telephone and internet market. Though the Telecom Minister Jyotiraditya Scindia also agreed with this stance and said that telecom waves will be given through administrative allocation instead of auction.
Telecom Minister Scindia said the Telecom Act, 2023 has placed the matter in 'Schedule One', which means that satellite internet spectrum will be allocated administratively. What that cost will be and what the formula for that cost will be, will be decided by TRAI.
TRAI will decide the price of spectrum
The telecom regulator has been given the right by the Constitution to decide what the administrative price is going to be." The minister expressed confidence that TRAI will decide the best price which should be adopted, provided it is being given administratively. Therefore, India is not doing anything different from the rest of the world.
On the contrary, if you decide to auction it, you will do something that will be different from the rest of the world." Musk has described Jio's demand to reject TRAI's consultation paper on allocation and non-auction of satellite broadband as 'unprecedented'.
Musk said jio demand is ‘unprecedented'
All though Elon Musk expressed displeasure on Tuesday when Mittal demanded to choose the bidding path in the presence of Prime Minister Narendra Modi. Musk asked if it would be 'too much trouble' to allow Starlink to provide internet services in India. This is perhaps the first time that Musk, who has a net worth of $241 billion, which is more than the combined wealth of Ambani, Mittal and Gautam Adani, has expressed his displeasure against the demand for equal opportunity.
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