Under this agreement, OneWeb India Communications, Eutelsat’s local operating entity, will collaborate with Nelco to deliver high-speed, reliable satellite connectivity tailored for land, maritime, and aviation sectors, supporting critical government and enterprise applications.
Service coverage will extend throughout India’s territory, including remote regions, territorial waters, and border areas, aiming to bolster digital infrastructure and enhance national security. Neha Idnani, regional Vice President for APAC at Eutelsat and director of OneWeb Communications India, emphasised that the partnership is a strategic move to support India’s rapidly growing digital economy and security ambitions. She highlighted that the collaboration would help ensure connectivity in underserved areas, strengthening India’s position as a key market for satellite-based services.
P J Nath, MD and CEO of Nelco, stated that the company is prepared to offer LEO services to its customers as soon as OneWeb’s services become commercially operational in India. Eutelsat OneWeb, which benefits from backing by Bharti Global, has already received regulatory approval to establish gateways and launch commercial services in India. However, it is still awaiting spectrum allocation, as the Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI) continues deliberations on how to allocate spectrum fairly among new satellite service providers.
India’s telecom sector has long debated the process of spectrum allocation, with telcos opposing the government’s administrative licensing approach rather than auction-based allocation. Recently, discussions have centred around licence durations, with SpaceX’s Starlink advocating for 20-year licences, while Reliance Jio and Bharti Airtel — both resellers of Starlink — have called for shorter licences of three to five years. TRAI is reportedly favouring a five-year licence, and in May announced plans to levy up to 4% of adjusted gross revenue (AGR) over five years for spectrum usage.
Eutelsat OneWeb has conducted initial testing in India through provisional spectrum allocated by the Department of Telecommunications (DoT) since October last year. Nonetheless, additional security requirements introduced by the DoT in May now present further hurdles — mandating that data centres and Points of Presence (PoPs) be physically located within India, that Indian telecom data not be copied or decrypted outside the country, and that at least 20% of ground segment equipment be indigenous within five years of service commencement.
This Nelco partnership follows a recent agreement with India-based maritime connectivity firm Station Satcom, where Eutelsat’s OneWeb LEO services will be integrated into its maritime offerings, further demonstrating Eutelsat’s commitment to expanding satellite connectivity across India.
