Elon Musk's Starlink gets key approval from Indian govt to launch satellite internet services

Elon Musk’s Starlink, the satellite internet company, has received key government approval to operate satcom services in India, PTI reported, quoting sources. The Department of Telecommunications (DoT) has issued a letter of intent after the company agreed to comply with licensing conditions critical to national security. The government had already granted licences to other players in the satcom space -- Bharti Group-backed OneWeb, Eutelsat, and Mukesh Ambani's Jio Satellite Communications.

Starlink’s model is based on low earth orbit (LEO) satellites, placed roughly 550 kilometres above the Earth. Jio and Bharti have announced agreements with SpaceX to distribute Starlink's broadband services in India. As part of these agreements, the telecom firms will sell Starlink's equipment through their retail outlets, with Jio additionally providing installation and activation support. They will also offer Starlink's services to businesses, schools, and health centers in rural areas. Starlink, which uses satellite constellation in a low Earth orbit, delivers high-speed, low-latency internet to users all over the world.

The clearance to Starlink came just a day after the government tightened security regulations for satellite internet providers, mandating data localisation, lawful interception capabilities, gateway security clearance, and local manufacturing requirements. Now, TRAI is expected to release recommendations on satellite spectrum pricing soon.

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