BHARTI Group-backed satellite communications company Network Access Associates Ltd (OneWeb) is awaiting India’s Space Communication policy and the policy on Spectrum Allocation to launch its services in India, Bharti Enterprises Founder & Chairman and One Web Executive Chairman Sunil Bharti Mittal said. He also said India has a big role to play as regards OneWeb as the user terminals will be made in the country. Mittal also said the group is setting up two ground stations in India - one in Mehsana in Gujarat and the other in Madurai in Tamil Nadu.

Interacting with a select group of reporters after the successful launch of 36 OneWeb satellites, Mittal said the group is awaiting for India’s policies on space communication, satellite spectrum allocation and foreign direct investment (FDI). The country’s Space Policy is in a work in progress stage. Mittal said the space spectrum is a shared resource and not a dedicated one for a player. On Sunday morning, Indian Space Research Organisation’s (ISRO) rocket LVM3 successfully orbited the final batch of OneWeb’s 36 satellites.

With this launch, OneWeb has 618 satellites orbiting in space. By completing the constellation, it is taking a pivotal step forward in delivering global coverage including India, the company had said. Mittal said the life span of each satellite is about eight years and the company has backup satellites to replace the ones that go out of operation.

Satellite communication service provider OneWeb is able to match mobile services rates of western countries but its prices can’t be at par with the “extremely low” tariff in India, company’s executive chairman Sunil Bharti Mittal said on Sunday. However, the services will cost more for individual use in India compared to existing mobile services plans.