Lok Sabha Question No. 4059 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2015-12-23
Subject: GMPCS
Ministry: COMMUNICATIONS AND INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY
Asked by: KESHAV PRASAD MAURYA

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA MINISTRY OF COMMUNICATIONS AND INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY DEPARTMENT OF TELECOMMUNICATIONS

## LOK SABHA

## UNSTARRED QUESTION NO.4059 TO BE ANSWERED ON 23 rd  DECEMBER, 2015

## GMPCS

## †4059. SHRI KESHAV PRASAD MAURYA:

Will  the  Minister  of  COMMUNICATIONS  AND  INFORMATION  TECHNOLOGY be pleased to state:

- (a) the  details  of  Indian  companies  which  have  been  allotted  licence  for  Global Mobile Personal Communication by Satellite (GMPCS);
- (b) the details of guidelines for issuing such licences;
- (c) the number of subscribers of GMPCS in the country, State-wise; and
- (d) the revenue earned by the Government by GMPCS during the last three years and the current year?

## ANSWER

## THE MINISTER OF COMMUNICATIONS AND INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY (SHRI RAVI SHANKAR PRASAD)

- (a) Madam, No licence has been allotted for Global Mobile Personal Communication by Satellite (GMPCS) by Department of Telecommunications (DoT). However, a licence has been granted for 'Provision & Operation of Satellite based services using gateway installed  in  India'  to  M/s  Bharat  Sanchar  Nigam  Limited  (BSNL)  under  'sui-  generis' category with all India service area on non exclusive basis.
- (b) Global Mobile Personal Communication by Satellite (GMPCS) license is included in the Unified License (UL) since 19.08.2013. The guidelines for grant of Unified License are  available  on  DoT  website  at  the  link  http://dot.gov.in/licensing/unified-license.  The process  of  grant  of  Global  Mobile  Personal  Communication  by  Satellite  (GMPCS) License includes, inter-alia, clearance of the proposal from security angle by the InterMinisterial Committee.

Some of the salient features of the guidelines for grant of Unified License with authorization of Global Mobile Personal Communication by Satellite (GMPCS) services are given below:

Contd……..2/-

 The  applicant  must  be  Indian  company,  registered  under  the  Indian Companies       Act' 1956.

 The  licence  for  operation  of  Global  Mobile  Personal  Communication  by Satellite (GMPCS) Service in India shall be issued on non-exclusive basis.

 The Total composite foreign holding shall be governed by foreign direct investment (FDI) policy of Government of India as announced by Department of Industrial Policy and Promotion from time to time.

 The period of license shall be 20 years, with the provision for extending the same for another 10 years.

 There  will  be  a  one-time  non-refundable  processing  Fee  of  amount  Rs. 50,000/- for authorisation of each service area.

 There  will  be  a  one-time  non-refundable  Entry  Fee  of  amount  Rs.  1.0 crore for authorisation of each service area.

 Performance Bank Guarantee of Rs. 2.5 crore & Financial Bank Guarantee  of  Rs.  1.0  crore  for  authorisation  of  each  service  area  shall  be required.

 An annual license fee as a percentage of Annual Gross Revenue (AGR) shall  be  paid  by  the  licensee.  The  license  fee  at  present  is  8%  of  the  AGR, inclusive of Universal Service Obligations (USO) levy which is presently 5 % of AGR.

 The applicant company shall have a minimum paid up equity capital and networth of the amount Rs. 2.5 crore each on the date of application.

 All foreign personnel likely to be deployed  by the  LICENSEE  for installation,  operation  and  maintenance  of  the  LICENSEE's  network  shall  be security  cleared  by  the  Government  of  India  prior  to  their  deployment.  The security clearance will be obtained from the Ministry of Home  Affairs, Government of India.

(c) & (d) Nil

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