Starlink secures approval to operate in India

The Department of Telecommunications (DoT) has issued a letter of intent after the company agreed to comply with licensing conditions critical to national security, one of the officials said.

The approval positions Starlink to join Eutelsat OneWeb and the Jio-SES joint venture in the satellite internet market. The timing is notable–it comes just a day after the government tightened security norms for satellite internet firms, mandating data localization, lawful interception, gateway security clearance, and local manufacturing requirements.

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“As per the process, the company has been issued the letter of intent. They will start preparation to launch its services in the country,” the second official said, adding that there will be demonstrations of its services now and post that it will be given the final licence.

Starlink had applied for the Global Mobile Personal Communication by Satellite (GMPCS) licence in 2022, a key regulatory requirement for satellite-based communications in India. Additionally, the company will need approval from the Indian National Space Promotion and Authorisation Centre (IN-SPACe) for its constellation of satellites and the capacity it plans to deploy in the country.

Minister of State for Communications Chandra Sekhar Pemmasani said on 6 May that Starlink’s application was in the final stages of approval. Last month, the company’s senior executives met with Commerce and Industry Minister Piyush Goyal to seek expedited clearances and outline plans for expanding operations in India.

Meanwhile, the Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI) is in the process of finalizing recommendations for allocating satellite spectrum. Once spectrum is assigned, satellite firms will be able to commercially roll out services.

Notably, for Eutelsat OneWeb and Jio, the government had first issued a letter of intent before granting them GMPCS licences to start satellite communication services.

As part of its rollout strategy, Starlink will now need to set up earth station gateways–ground-based facilities that connect satellites to local networks, a critical component for internet connectivity. 

In March, SpaceX, Starlink’s parent company, entered into a pact with Bharti Airtel and Jio Platforms, India’s largest telecom operators, to potentially distribute Starlink equipment through their retail stores and offer services to business customers, schools, and health centres.

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Telecom operators that previously resisted satellite-based players to limit competition are now exploring collaborations with Starlink, reflecting a shift in strategy amid growing demand for reliable connectivity.

Analysts say Starlink’s entry could help bridge the digital divide, particularly in rural areas where internet access remains limited. 

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“Forty percent of India’s population does not have internet access, with rural areas comprising the majority of these cases. This represents a large market opportunity for Starlink,” brokerage Bernstein had noted in a report dated 4 March.

Globally, Starlink operates the world’s largest satellite constellation, with over 6,750 satellites in orbit serving millions of customers with high-speed, low-latency internet, according to information on its website.