Starlink to get licence from government to operate Satcom in next few days

Satellite dish antenna with telecommunication towers on blue sky
| Photo Credit:
bluebay2014

Elon Musk-owned Starlink is finally getting the licence to operate its satellite communications (Satcom) in India. The company’s executives will be arriving in India to get the approval from the government, over the next few days.

Sources closed to the development told businessline that a team from Starlink is visiting India “very soon”, to get the Global Mobile Personal Communication by Satellite (GMPCS) licence, which is a crucial permit to start its operations in India.

“All the proposals are in place and the licence is getting signed by both the parties (DoT and Starlink officials) over the next few days,” a source privy to the development told businessline.

LoI received

The company had received a Letter of Intent (LoI) from the Department of Telecommunications (DoT) earlier, which was already a significant step towards Starlink’s ability to offer satellite Internet services in the country.

The LoI was given following the company’s agreement to comply with the Indian government’s revised security conditions, including data localisation and security protocols.

Sources also said the company has also secured clearance from Indian National Space Promotion and Authorisation Centre (IN-SPACe), another crucial permission required for non-government entities.

IStarlink is the third operator to get the GMPCS licence, after Bharti (Airtel)-backed Eutelsat Oneweb and Mukesh Ambani-owned Jio Satellite Communication. All three of them will be competing in this new space of communication in India.

Reliance Industries Group firm Jio Platforms has formed a joint venture with Luxembourg-based SES for satellite communication services.

Airtel-Oneweb had received the GMPCS licence in August 2021 while Jio Satellite Communication has held it since March 2022. However, both companies had secured the space regulators nod nearly two years after getting their GMPCS licences, in November 2023 and June 2024, respectively.

Earlier this year (in March), both Airtel and Reliance Jio have also announced partnerships with Starlink that will bring Starlink’s high-speed Satellite Internet service to customers in India, especially to address coverage in remote and rural areas.