Starlink Gets the Green Light: High-Speed Internet Services to Launch in India Soon

New Delhi (The Uttam Hindu)- Elon Musk's company Starlink on Wednesday got approval from the country's space regulator Indian National Space Promotion and Authorisation Centre (IN-SPACe) to start satellite-based internet service in India.

According to the authorization list available on the website of In-Space, this approval has cleared the last regulatory hurdle for Starlink to launch commercial satellite-based internet service in the country. Starlink will now have to acquire spectrum from the government and build ground infrastructure for its services. The Department of Telecommunications (DOT) is ready to give trial spectrum to the US space company to meet security compliance. After the completion of this process, Starlink can start satellite-based internet service in the country within a few months.

Starlink has already signed commercial deals with VSAT providers in India. VSAT (Very Small Aperture Terminal) service providers provide satellite-based internet and communication solutions, especially for locations where terrestrial connectivity is limited or nonexistent. Union Communications Minister Jyotiraditya Scindia had said last week that all the due diligence on their part has been completed for SpaceX's Starlink service to enter India, and after getting the necessary regulatory and licensing approvals from the space regulator, they can launch the service in the country whenever they want. Before granting the approval, the space regulator had issued a letter of intent (LOI) to Starlink. Starlink provides internet through a network of satellites orbiting the Earth. The company currently operates the world's largest satellite network, with more than 6,750 satellites in orbit. Starlink internet services are already available in several countries, including Mongolia, Japan, Philippines, Malaysia, Indonesia, Jordan, Yemen, Azerbaijan and Sri Lanka.