India gives a green light to Starlink: What Elon Musk's satellite means for connectivity competition and control
Starlink's Low Earth Orbit technology promises high-speed, low-latency internet, offering solutions to India's growing demand for rural connectivity. India News
In a major boost to Elon Musk's Starlink has received the initial approval to provide satellite services in India. According to a report by Business Standard, the Indian Department of Telecommunications has issued a Letter of Intent to Starlink, indicating preliminary approval for operating in the country.
This regulatory green light comes after a dodgy start for Starlink in the country, which had been summoned earlier for taking pre-orders without approval. Now this initial clearance has positioned Starlink in a favourable position to provide broadband services to remote and underserved areas.
Launched in 2019 by Spacex, Starlink's Low Earth Orbit satellite technology offers high-speed and low-latency internet without relying on ground-based structures.
India has over 900 million active internet users, and with an 8% Y-o-Y increase in the number of users, most of them reside in rural India. With nearly 300 million users offline India provides a fertile ground for Starlink satellite.
According to the LoI, Starlink had accepted 29 security conditions, including real-time terminal tracking, local data processing, legal interception capabilities, and localisation of at least 20% of its ground segment infrastructure within the first few years of operations.
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Competing in the orbit
Starlink is not the only satellite fighting for space in India’s satellite internet race. Domestic telecom giant Bharati Airtel has partnered with the UK-based Oneweb and has already secured approvals. Reliance Jio also has a Jio Satellite communication arm. Amazon’s Project Kuiper is also on the satcom fray.
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However, due to the global reach of the Starlink satellite, it ought to have a competitive edge. Price sensitivity will be important for India’s price-conscious customers.
India has long shown a cautious approach towards foreign satcom, not only due to trade protectionism but also to maintain control over its digital infrastructure and maintain communication under lawful monitoring.
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