'Concerns of cheap selling of spectrum to Devas have no basis'

Apparently rejecting contentions of huge loss to the state exchequer, the just-released report of the high-powered review committee on various aspects of the Antrix-Devas agreement said concerns on cheap selling of spectrum to the private firm have no basis whatsoever.

"Space spectrum is not comparable to terrestrial spectrum," said the report of the committee, made up of B K Chaturvedi and Prof Roddam Narasimha, constituted by the government to review the technical, commercial, procedural and financial aspects of the agreement, that submitted the report to the Prime Minister in March 2011.

It noted that Devas was also required to obtain licenses from the Department of Telecom/Information and Broadcasting Ministry for providing services to customers and would have to pay, apart from Transponder leasing charges, other charges which would be determined by Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI), based on its consultation mechanism.

While the agreement with Devas does not indicate any short-selling of spectrum, it does, however, indicate certain financial and strategic gaps, said the report, made public by the Department of Space (DoS) last night.

"Chairman, Antrix Board/Secretary, DoS, Director, SATCOM, ISRO, Member (Finance), Space Commission, were primarily responsible for the lapse”, it said. "Chairman, ISRO/Antrix Board who finalised several areas of agreement must also share the responsibility for some of the gaps."

Space spectrum efforts have to be made to augment for national use. "A national policy which takes care of the country's strategic/commercial and societal needs and takes an integrated view of space and terrestrial segments is necessary," the report recommended.

It said there is a clear need for a regular peer review of ISRO every three years. "Unless its administrative and scientific culture is constantly reviewed, checked and strengthened, there is a danger of slide back. This mechanism will help strengthen the organisation".