Starlink nears India launch: Elon Musk's satcom giant gets final regulatory go-ahead, prepares for compliance trials
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Elon Musk-owned Starlink is poised to receive its final regulatory approval to launch satellite communication services in India, with space regulator IN-SPACe issuing a draft authorisation document for the company to sign.
Once completed, the Indian National Space Promotion and Authorisation Centre will countersign the document, effectively clearing the way for Starlink to begin operations.
The development will place Starlink on par with existing satcom players Eutelsat OneWeb and Jio Satellite, both of whom have already secured similar approvals. Starlink received its Global Mobile Personal Communication by Satellite (GMPCS) licence last month, becoming the third company in India permitted to offer satellite-based communication services, reported ET.
Starlink India: What's next?
Despite receiving the GMPCS licence and being close to final authorisation, Starlink must still fulfil critical operational and security requirements before launching commercial services in India. The company is now required to set up ground infrastructure, including satellite earth stations, communication gateways, and a control and monitoring centre within Indian territory.
Following the installation of these systems, Starlink will have to demonstrate service functionality for security clearance, a mandatory step for all satcom operators.
Without this security nod, companies are not permitted to commercially roll out services, even if they hold all necessary licences.
Rivals OneWeb and Jio Satellite, which received their GMPCS permits in 2021 and 2022 respectively, are still awaiting security approval. Both companies were allocated trial spectrum by the department of telecommunications (DoT) last year to test their systems and demonstrate compliance.
This trial allocation has now been extended by six months.
Security watch, spectrum talks shape Starlink's rollout
Starlink's progress will be closely watched by Indian security agencies, especially in light of earlier concerns. Authorities previously raised alarms over the unauthorised use of Starlink terminals in sensitive regions like the Northeast. The ministry of home affairs flagged the issue to the DoT in March this year, leading to increased scrutiny of the company's operations and data-sharing practices.
Under India's satcom regulations, all traffic must be monitored within the country, pass through Indian gateways, and comply with local control protocols. Companies are also required to create buffer zones along international borders as part of the operational mandate.
The DoT is expected to soon allocate a trial spectrum to Starlink to allow for demonstrations of its services and security compliance.
India is simultaneously working on streamlining its satellite spectrum allocation policy.
The telecom regulatory authority of India (TRAI) has recommended that satcom spectrum be assigned administratively for five years. The proposed fee is set at 4% of a provider's adjusted gross revenue (AGR).
For urban users, an additional charge of Rs 500 per subscriber annually is expected, while no such cost will be levied for rural users. Notably, there will be no upfront fee or allocation cost for satellite spectrum under these recommendations.
In a sign of the government's growing interest in satellite connectivity, communications minister Jyotiraditya Scindia recently met top SpaceX officials to discuss opportunities to use satellite technologies for expanding India's digital infrastructure
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