Starlink gets Modi government's nod to launch service in India
What's the story
Elon Musk's Starlink, a SpaceX subsidiary, has received a Letter of Intent (LoI) from India's Department of Telecommunications (DoT).
The approval enables the company to provide its satellite communication services in the country.
The green light comes after Starlink agreed to comply with India's newly introduced national security regulations.
The company's focus will be on providing broadband connectivity in remote areas and homes across India.
Approval journey
Starlink's application approval process
Starlink's application for Indian regulatory approval had been pending for a while.
The final approval came only after the company agreed to adhere to revised security norms introduced this week.
The new rules require satellite internet providers to keep data within Indian borders and prevent them from connecting user connections to overseas terminals or facilities.
Compliance details
Compliance with India's security conditions
Among India's 29 new security conditions are mandatory interception and monitoring mechanisms, use of local data centers, and location tracking for mobile user terminals.
Terminals are now required to report their location every 2.6 kilometers traveled or every minute, whichever comes first.
The DoT also requires 20% of the satellite network's ground segment to be indigenized within its first few years of operation in India.
Service expansion
Starlink's potential to offer mobile satellite internet in India
Starlink runs a fleet of low Earth orbit (LEO) satellites, around 7,000 of them at present. The constellation is expected to grow massively, eventually exceeding 40,000 satellites.
While Eutelsat OneWeb and Jio-SES are only cleared to offer fixed satellite services, Starlink could be the first to provide mobile satellite internet in India.
This would keep users connected even on the go, providing an edge in emergency response and remote area communications.
Market concerns
Potential impact on Indian market
Union Minister of State for Telecom Chandra Sekhar Pemmasani was cautiously optimistic about Starlink's impact on the Indian market.
He pointed out Starlink has less than 50 lakh subscribers globally and is slower than traditional networks.
"There should not be too much worry about... Starlink coming, taking over. Starlink will be primarily for inside home connectivity, not for mobile services," Pemmasani said.
He also spoke about market disruption concerns, saying, "It is 10 times more expensive than our traditional models."
Future steps
Starlink's future plans in India
Before launching commercial services in India, Starlink needs to get a nod from the Indian National Space Promotion and Authorization Centre (IN-SPACe) and spectrum allocation.
The Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI) is likely to recommend pricing for administrative allocation shortly.
To bolster its presence in the country, Starlink has also signed agreements with Reliance Jio and Bharti Airtel, who together dominate over 70% of the Indian telecom sector.
Information
Amazon, Globalstar eye India as satellite broadband market heats up
India's satellite communication market is still emerging, but global interest is growing. Along with Musk's Starlink, Amazon's Project Kuiper and Apple's partner Globalstar are also targeting India for their space-based broadband initiatives.