Satellite Internet in India Given Green Light: Starlink's License Approved for Launch in India at Last
After a series of hurdles and delays, SpaceX's satellite internet service, Starlink, is one step closer to launching in India. The company has received a license from India's Department of Telecommunications (DoT) to provide satellite internet services, marking a major milestone in its entry into one of the world's largest and fastest-growing internet markets.
Regulatory Hurdles Overcome
Starlink's progress into India has been repeatedly stalled due to national security concerns, regulatory hurdles, and evolving government policies on foreign satellite communications. However, the company has managed to navigate these challenges and is now ready to move forward.
The requirements Starlink must comply with include enabling lawful interception capabilities, establishing domestic ground infrastructure, and obtaining clearances from India's space regulator, In-SPACe. The company has also been granted permission by the Indian National Space Promotion and Authorisation Centre (IN-SPACe) to operate its Gen1 satellite constellation over India until July 2030, along with allocated Ka and Ku band frequencies for uplink and downlink transmissions.
Partnerships and Affordable Pricing
To support its entry into the Indian market, Starlink has signed distribution agreements with Reliance Jio and Bharti Airtel, India's two largest telecom providers. These partnerships are expected to bring Starlink terminals into thousands of retail outlets, making the service more accessible to consumers.
The pricing in India is expected to be among the most affordable offered by Starlink due to the country's low mobile data prices. Monthly subscription plans are expected to be between Rs 3,000 and Rs 4,200, with upfront hardware costs around Rs 33,000.
Next Steps
Starlink still needs to acquire spectrum from DoT, set up ground infrastructure such as gateway stations, and finalize commercial arrangements including pricing and user limits. If these conditions are met smoothly, Starlink’s satellite internet service should be operational in India by late 2025 or early 2026, initially capped at around 2 million users.
The company must also comply with India's stringent national security and data localization requirements before launching full-scale services. This includes registering every user terminal, geo-fencing user devices to prevent unauthorized use, logging all user traffic metadata, and ensuring the ability to block content as required by Indian censorship laws. Starlink must also shut off service in sensitive border areas under government monitoring.
In January 2022, the Indian government directed Starlink to refund all pre-orders, but customers who had paid a $99 deposit were informed via email that refunds would be processed promptly.
References: [1] TechCrunch [2] The Economic Times [3] The Hindu [4] The Indian Express [5] Business Standard
Science and technology have played crucial roles in SpaceX's efforts to launch Starlink in India. The company's satellite internet service must comply with technology-based requirements such as enabling lawful interception capabilities and setting up domestic ground infrastructure (TechCrunch, The Hindu). Meanwhile, in the realm of finance, partnerships with two of India's largest telecom providers, Reliance Jio and Bharti Airtel, could greatly expand Starlink's accessibility through retail outlets, potentially making it more affordable for consumers (The Economic Times).
