Starlink a step closer to launching its satellite-based internet in India

Starlink has submitted its application to the Indian National Space Promotion & Authorisation Centre (IN-SPACe) seeking clearance for setting up earth stations, The Economic Times (ET) has reported. This takes Elon Musk's company one step closer to its ambition of setting up satellite-based internet connectivity in India.

As Starlink goes ahead with its plan, it will have rivals like Bharti Group company OneWeb, Amazon, and Reliance Jio's satcom waiting for it.

Earlier, the US-based Starlink had applied to the Department of Telecommunications (DoT) to get a global mobile personal communication by satellite services (GMPCS) license. The report quoted officials in the know who said that the government is performing a security check for Starlink's GMPCS license, the company is likely to receive the required clearances in a couple of months, ET reported.

Talking about the subject, a government official told ET, "They (Starlink) have also applied to IN-SPACe. The GMPCS application is under process."

Foreign companies are now allowed to set up infrastructure and begin their operations by offering satellite services in India. However, they need to get approval from IN-SPACe. India's latest Space Policy 2023 empowers IN-SPACe to act as the sole agency to authorise space activities for both government and private satcom players, the ET report said.

When Starlink, a subsidiary of SpaceX, gets the required approvals, it will have to wait for spectrum allocation from the DoT. OneWeb is the primary rival for Starlink which has already secured all the approvals. However, OneWeb is also waiting for its spectrum allocation. Other than these two, Reliance Jio's satellite arm has also received a GMPCS license from DoT.

Competition in this space is heating up with firms trying to move fast to get the first mover's advantage. As things stand, the satellite communications market in India is still evolving. However, experts argue that the technology has a huge potential, especially for remote and rural areas.