Jyotiraditya Scindia, the Union Minister of India, has stated that the country is open to granting a satellite internet licence to Elon Musk's Starlink. The Only condition attached to the service is that it adheres to India’s strict security and regulatory conditions. As per Scindia, Starlink, like any other satellite service, has to meet India’s security protocols by addressing every concern in the government’s licence format.
Once the criteria are fulfilled, the license will be granted. Scindia further emphasized that the government would be pleased to welcome Starlink once all the boxes are checked.
Security compliance for licence eligibility for Starlink
To operate in India, Starlink has to follow an established process that will include ensured security measures against potential data and cyber threats.
Scindia further mentioned that the government’s criteria are stringent and will ensure national safety, emphasising that this will be applied universally to all satellite providers.
The global and local landscape
At present, satellite service provider companies like Jio Satellite Communications (Reliance) and OneWeb (backed by Bharti Group) are holding satellite communication licences in India.
The government, however, will be firm on not allocating satellite broadband spectrum freely as the Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI) will be determining its pricing. This approach will further support India’s membership in the International Telecommunication Union (ITU), by reflecting the international standard of regulated satellite spectrum allocation.
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Starlink has applied for a licence to start operations in the country. Scindia, however, offered no clues on the fate of his application. Musk-led Starlink is demanding administrative allotment of licences in line with the global trend as it looks to tap into the world's fastest-growing mobile telephony and internet market.
