Elon Musk’s Starlink has obtained a licence from the telecom division for offering satellite tv for pc web services in India, a key milestone that can take it nearer in direction of launching industrial operations within the nation.
Starlink is the third firm after Eutelsat OneWeb and Jio Satellite Communications to get a licence from the Department of Telecommunications (DoT) to present satellite tv for pc web services within the nation.
A fourth applicant, Amazon’s Kuiper remains to be ready for approvals.
DoT sources confirmed on Friday (June 6, 2025) that Starlink has certainly obtained the licence and mentioned the corporate will probably be granted trial spectrum in 15-20 days of making use of for it.
Starlink will now have to comply with the safety norms comparable to offering entry for lawful interception, earlier than beginning services.
The licence got here hours after an enormous public spat between Mr. Musk and U.S. President Donald Trump. The falling-out between the world’s richest man and the world’s strongest individual started when Mr. Musk, who left his function as head of the Department of Government Efficiency per week in the past, denounced Mr. Trump’s sweeping tax-cut and spending invoice.
On Thursday (June 5, 2025), it erupted within the verbal duel after Mr. Trump criticised Mr. Musk within the Oval Office. Mr. Musk responded, saying, “Trump would have lost” with out his assist, prompting the U.S. President to finish U.S. contracts.
The licence from DoT got here almost a month after the Starlink was issued a letter of intent (LoI) by the telecom division.
The corporations which have obtained the licence would, nevertheless, have to a wait a tad longer for industrial satcom spectrum because the Trai only recently despatched its suggestions on pricing, and phrases and situations, to the federal government for its consideration.
The gamers will probably be ready to start their services after the allocation of radio wave frequencies.
Typically, even earlier than the industrial spectrum, the trial spectrum is required to take a look at, and confirm the methods and processes on safety parameters to display that each one norms and necessities, are being complied with.
The standing of the Starlink’s remaining nod from the Indian house regulator, In-SPACe couldn’t be instantly ascertained.
Starlink is a satellite tv for pc web service developed by SpaceX — the American aerospace producer and house transportation firm based in 2002 by the world’s richest man Musk. It gives high-speed, low-latency broadband web worldwide utilizing satellite tv for pc know-how and is aptly described by some as broadband beamed from the skies.
Unlike typical satellite tv for pc services that depend on distant geostationary satellites, Starlink utilises the world’s largest low Earth orbit or LEO constellation (550 km above Earth).
This constellation of LEO satellites (7,000 now however ultimately set to develop to over 40,000) and its mesh delivers broadband web able to supporting streaming, on-line gaming, and video calls.
Starlink, which had been vying for an Indian licence for a while now, lately signed pacts with Ambani’s Reliance Jio and Mittal’s Bharti Airtel, which collectively management greater than 70% of the nation’s telecom market, to convey the U.S. satellite tv for pc web large’s services to India.
The nod for the satcom providing — recognized for its resilience in harsh situations and battle zones — coincides with escalation of Donald Trump-Elon Musk feud within the U.S.
Early final month, the federal government had issued stringent safety norms mandating authorized interception of satellite tv for pc communication services and barred corporations from linking connection of customers in any type with any terminal or facility situated outdoors the nation’s border in addition to processing of their knowledge abroad.
The tighter safety guidelines additionally mandate service suppliers to indigenise no less than 20% of their floor segments of the satellite tv for pc community inside years of their institution within the nation. The satcom service licence holders would require safety clearances for particular gateway and hub areas in India and compliance with monitoring, interception services and gear necessities.
India’s guidelines mandate satcom companies to display system capabilities with respect to safety facets, together with monitoring, to the Department of Telecom (DoT) or its authorised representatives earlier than beginning operations in India.
It is pertinent to point out that telecom regulator TRAI final month really helpful that satellite tv for pc communication corporations like Starlink pay 4% of their adjusted gross income (AGR) as spectrum prices to the federal government — a price steeper than what these companies had been lobbying for.
Operators providing satellite-based broadband web services in city areas would have to shell out a further Rs 500 per subscribers yearly, TRAI really helpful. No extra levy could be relevant for services in rural areas.
COAI, whose members embrace Reliance Jio and Airtel, lately approached the telecom division to elevate considerations over TRAI suggestions on the satcom spectrum.
The business physique argued that “incorrect assumptions” have led to unjustifiably low spectrum prices for satellite tv for pc services relative to terrestrial networks — a declare strongly rejected by Trai, which has dominated out any overview of suggestions at this stage, based mostly on business physique COAI’s prices.
Published – June 06, 2025 07:11 pm IST
