Elon Musk’s satellite internet venture, Starlink, has obtained a key regulatory clearance from the Department of Telecommunications (DoT), Government of India, bringing it closer to launching its services in the country. Following Bharti Airtel-Eutelsat’s OneWeb and Reliance Jio, and with the approval of the Global Mobile Personal Communication by Satellite (GMPCS) licence, Starlink becomes the third company authorised to offer satellite-based internet in India. Confirming the development, Communications Minister Jyotiraditya Scindia said that the next step would be spectrum allocation.
Starlink, already available in 100 countries, is a satellite broadband initiative from SpaceX, and is on a mission to revolutionize internet connectivity by beaming high-speed access from space. With Starlink coming to India, the internet will reach every nook and corner of the country.
The company has already been issued a Letter of Intent (LoI) by the Department of Telecommunications, which serves as an initial go-ahead from the authorities.
However, before it can begin rolling out its satellite internet infrastructure across the country, Starlink must now obtain a crucial clearance from the Indian National Space Promotion and Authorisation Centre (In-SPACe). This approval from the national space regulator is essential before the company can commence trial operations and be allotted provisional spectrum.
Starlink has been awaiting regulatory approval to begin commercial operations in India since 2022. However, the process has been held up by various factors — including concerns related to national security, according to a report by Reuters.
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