Union Communications Minister Jyotiraditya Scindia (file photo)
Starlink, Elon Musk’s satellite broadband company, may soon start providing internet service in India. Union Communications Minister Jyotiraditya Scindia on Tuesday said we are ready to grant license to any company.
Scindia said: “Whether it is Starlink or any other company, everyone will have to be ready to follow our safety and other rules. Obtaining a license is a specific process, you need to check all the boxes. When you check all the boxes, you get the permit.
Starlink is ready to accept Indian government rules
A day earlier, news came that in a meeting with the Department of Telecommunications, Starlink agreed to rules related to data localization and security for the licensing of satellite broadband services. However, the agreement to this effect has not yet been filed by the company.
The Global Mobile Personal Communication by Satellite Services (GMPCS) license is the first step towards establishing satellite Internet. After which, the spectrum can be obtained for testing purposes by paying a nominal application fee.
It is mandatory for satellite communication companies to maintain complete data in the country.
According to security-related rules, it is mandatory for satellite communication companies operating in the country to keep all data inside the country. Starlink may also need to explain how intelligence agencies will obtain the data if they need it.
Starlink applied for a license in October 2022
Starlink had applied for this license in October 2022. After that, the company also sought approval from the space regulator, Indian National Space Promotion and Authorization Center (IN-SPACe). The application with IN-SPACE has also progressed, but additional details are being sought for final approval.
Indian government to decide spectrum pricing and allocation rules
Satellite broadband services will start in India only after the government decides on pricing and spectrum allocation rules. This process can only begin when the Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI) publishes its recommendations, expected by the end of December.
Indian companies will compete with global companies like Starlink
In the satellite services sector, Indian companies like Reliance Jio, Bharti Airtel and Vodafone-Idea will compete with global companies like Amazon owner Jeff Bezos’ Kuiper and Musk’s Starlink.
At an open house last week, representatives of the three Indian companies said only auctioned satellite spectrum should be used to provide satellite-related services to urban or retail consumers.
To this request, Starlink had stated that telecommunications/ground services and satellite communications are different in principle and therefore should not be compared.
Spectrum should be allocated administratively rather than by auction
Starlink India director Pernil Urdhvareshe said if 5G mobile spectrum is shared among telecom companies, it should be allocated administratively rather than through auctions.
IN-SPACe estimates that the country’s space economy could reach $4,400 million by 2033 and its global market share could increase from around 2% currently to around 8%.
How will the Internet reach you via satellites?
Satellites make it possible to broadcast Internet coverage to any part of the Earth. The satellite network provides users with high-speed, low-latency Internet coverage. Latency refers to the time it takes to transmit data from one point to another. The Starlink kit consists of a Starlink dish, a Wi-Fi router, power cables and a mounting tripod. For high-speed internet, the dish must be kept in the open air. The Starlink app is available on iOS and Android, which takes care of configuration and monitoring.
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Starlink will provide satellite broadband services in India: government will not give away spectrum through auction, Reliance-Airtel had demanded; Musk protested
The government has decided to administratively allocate satellite communications (Satcom) spectrum. Earlier, Reliance Chairman Mukesh Ambani and Airtel Chairman Sunil Bharti Mittal had asked the government to allocate spectrum through auction.
Following this government decision, Starlink and SpaceX owner Elon Musk promised to provide satellite broadband service in India. He gave this information in his post X. Previously, Musk opposed the advice of the two Indian businessmen.