Elon Musk’s Starlink May Get Approval To Start Operations In India

Reports claim that Elon Musk’s Starlink is tipped to receive approval from India’s Telecom Ministry soon. It means that the company will soon get its global mobile personal communication by satellite (GMPCS) services license. The proposal will be discussed in a high-level meeting later this month. After approval, Starlink will be able to offer its services in India. It will provide internet connectivity to remote villages and areas lacking high-speed services.

 Starlink’s Launch Still Faces Some Regulatory Hurdles

Despite the possible GMPCS license approval, Starlink will still need to get clearance from different government wings, including the Department of Space before launching operations in India. Back in 2021, the Telecom Ministry reproached Starlink for accepting advance payments from subscribers without getting the necessary license. The Ministry even ordered Starlink to refund around 5,000 customers who pre-booked its services in the country.

A meeting was held in the US between Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Musk. Musk stated that Starlink can be “incredibly helpful” in remote Indian villages with limited or no internet access. Moreover, the satellite Internet constellation has urged the Centre to assign licenses instead of auctioning the spectrum, in line with global trends. The company claims that spectrum is a natural resource that must be shared by companies. On the other hand, auctions may inflict geographical restrictions, raising costs.

If Starlink comes to India then it will be another shot in Ambani’s arm. His company, Reliance Jio already has 439 million telecom users, making it the market leader. Moreover, it also has 8 million wired broadband connections, a 25% market share. Let’s see what comes next. Some last-minute delays are still expected in the launch.