Starlink Nears Approval for Indian Launch Amid Spectrum and Security Negotiations
February 20, 2025
Current regulations dictate that companies must offer monitoring capabilities for law enforcement agencies within 10 kilometers of international borders, with possible relaxations based on government assessments.
Starlink's application will be reviewed by the IN-SPACe committee, which includes officials from the home ministry and the Department of Space.
In the competitive landscape, Starlink is vying for spectrum allocation against Amazon Kuiper, while traditional telecom operators favor auction-based allocations for airwaves.
To operate in India, Starlink must secure an operator's license from the Department of Telecommunications (DoT) and obtain spectrum allocation.
Starlink has met most requirements for a Global Mobile Personal Communication by Satellite (GMPCS) license, but some security-related terms are still under negotiation.
Additionally, Starlink plans to set up a network control and monitoring center in India, ensuring that data will not be routed through gateways in neighboring countries.
Elon Musk's Starlink is on the verge of receiving approval from the Indian National Space Promotion and Authorization Centre (IN-SPACe) to launch its broadband services in India.
However, Starlink has yet to agree to establish monitoring zones along India's international borders or to provide services in sensitive regions like Jammu and Kashmir and Ladakh.
The company has agreed to geolocate user terminals, ensuring that any relocation requires operator authorization, which prevents users from shifting terminals freely.
The Indian government plans to allocate satellite communication spectrum administratively, without auctions, although fees will apply.
Summary based on 1 source
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Economic Times • Feb 20, 2025
Starlink nears IN-SPACe nod after agreeing to most conditions for satcom licence