Elon Musk’s Starlink India received approval on Wednesday from the Indian National Space Promotion and Authorisation Centre (IN-SPACe), paving the way for its satellite internet services to begin commercial operations in India.
According to the IN-SPACe authorisation list, this marks the last regulatory step before Starlink can roll out its affordable satellite broadband service in the country. Starlink now needs to acquire spectrum from the government and set up ground infrastructure for service delivery.
The Department of Telecommunications (DoT) is expected to allocate trial spectrum soon. This will allow the company to carry out security compliance demonstrations required before full-scale operations begin.
Starlink has already signed its first commercial agreements with Indian VSAT (Very Small Aperture Terminal) providers. These firms offer satellite-based internet solutions in remote areas where terrestrial connectivity is limited or unavailable.
The Starlink India rollout is expected in a few months, once technical and procedural steps are completed. The Union Communications Minister, Jyotiraditya Scindia, said last week that due diligence has been completed. Starlink can begin services once regulatory and licensing approvals are in place.
Starlink currently operates the world’s largest satellite constellation, with over 6,750 satellites in orbit. It provides satellite internet in several countries, including Japan, the Philippines, Malaysia, Indonesia, Jordan, Yemen, and Sri Lanka.
India’s satcom space is heating up, as Amazon’s Project Kuiper also awaits approvals from DoT and IN-SPACe. Kuiper plans a large-scale satellite communications rollout in the country, competing directly with Starlink.
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