Elon Musk's Starlink nears approval for space broadband services in India

In a significant development, Elon Musk's Starlink is on the brink of securing approval to launch space-based broadband services in India, with reports suggesting that the Department of Telecommunications (DoT) may issue a Letter of Intent (LoI) by the end of this month. According to sources, Starlink's recent clarification to the Department for Promotion of Industry & Internal Trade (DPIIT) has paved the way for this imminent approval.

The ET Telecom report quotes an insider stating, "Starlink replied to the Department for Promotion of Industry & Internal Trade, and in the next few days or by the end of this month, the Department of Telecommunications (DoT) may issue a Letter of Intent (LoI) to Starlink." Meanwhile, Moneycontrol, citing its sources, suggests that the DoT could extend this crucial approval to Starlink as early as Wednesday.

Both reports highlight the preparation of an approval letter by telecom secretary Neeraj Mittal and communications secretary Ashwini Vaishnaw, expected to be finalized by next week. However, it is noted that both officials are currently abroad, with Mittal attending the PanIIT 2024 event in Washington DC and Vaishnaw participating in the World Economic Forum in Davos.

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Starlink initiated its journey in India by applying for a global mobile personal communication by satellite services (GMPCS) license in November 2022. If granted, this license will position Starlink as the third company in India, following Reliance Jio and OneWeb, to secure such authorisation. The GMPCS license would empower Starlink to provide messaging services, voice services, and broadband to individuals and organisations across India.

However, in addition to government approval, Satcom players, including Starlink, must obtain clearance from the Indian National Space Promotion and Authorisation Centre (IN-SPACe), the designated single-window agency for space activity approvals in India since 2023. The subsequent step involves spectrum allotment by the Department of Telecommunications (DoT).

It's worth noting that Starlink faced criticism from the Telecom Ministry in late 2021 for accepting advance payments from subscribers without holding the necessary license. The Ministry directed Starlink to refund the money to approximately 5,000 pre-ordered customers in India.