Elon Musk’s Starlink has been granted a key licencee from the Departmemnt of Telecommunications, reports said on Friday, in a boost to the satellite company’s dreams to capture the market.
Starlink’s receipt of approval from the telecom ministry brings it closer to start commercial operations in India with a target to reach 900 million internet users of the country, Reuters and Bloomberg reported on Friday.
DoT sources also confirmed to PTI that Starlink has indeed received licence, and said they will be granted trial spectrum in 15-20 days of applying for it.
Starlink and the Department of Telecommunications did not immediately make the news official. This article will be updated once there is an official notification.
Starlink is the third company to get a licence from India’s Department of Telecommunications. Before Starlink, the DoT had approved similar applications by Eutelsat’s OneWeb and Reliance Jio to provide services in the country.
Starlink has been waiting since 2022 for licences to operate commercially in India but delays have occurred due to reasons including national security concerns, as per Reuters. Amazon’s Kuiper is still waiting for its India licence.
In recent months, Musk’s company has also clashed with billionaire Mukesh Ambani’s entity Jio over how the country should grant spectrum for satellite services. The Centre agrees with Elon Musk that spectrum should be assigned and not auctioned.
When will Starlink services be available in India?
On May 7, Starlink had received a Letter of Intent from the DoT, in one of the initial steps to pave way for its commercial launch in India.
With the key regulatory licence that Elon Musk’s company received today, Starlink is expected to soon start operations in the country.
Starlink’s intention of starting its services quickly in India has been evident. Earlier this year, the company signed surprise pacts with two largest Indian telecom firms — Mukesh Ambani’s Reliance Jio and Bharti Airtel — to help with its roll out in the country.
Days later, Union telecom minister Jyotiraditya Scindia had said that the nation needed satellite internet, especially in remote corners of the country or when natural disasters destroy towers and fibre networks.
Starlink internet plan cost
As per a media report last month, Starlink could introduce plans starting as low as $10, or approximately ₹850 per month. This will make its services one of the most affordable globally – a requirement in India, a country that leans towards low-cost high-efficiency products.
The low-cost plans, which may include unlimited data, will help Starlink quickly gain a huge customer base in the country, reportedly targeting 10 million users.