New Delhi: Satellite internet services in India will be a reality soon as Elon Musk’s Starlink has taken a major step, clearing a Letter of Intent (LoI) issued from the department of telecommunications (DoT) under telecom ministry. Now, Starlink has to secure a licence before being able to start operations. The approval, issued after months of deliberation, comes on the back of Starlink agreeing to India’s stringent national security norms rolled out earlier this week.Starlink’s approval came amid national security preparedness due to India’s pre-dawn Operation Sindoor strikes on terror camps across the border in response to the Pahalgam massacre. However, DoT officials have clarified that the decision to approve Starlink was independent of these military developments. As per top DoT sources, the department granted the LoI after Starlink agreed about 29 strict security conditions, including requirements for real-time terminal tracking, mandatory local data processing, legal interception capabilities, and localisation of at least 20 percent of its ground segment infrastructure within the first few years of operation. Starlink is a satellite internet service developed by Musk-owned SpaceX — the American aerospace manufacturer and space transportation company provides high-speed, low-latency broadband internet worldwide using satellite technology. The firm has tied up with the top two-telecom operators — Reliance Jio and Bharti Airtel to bring Starlink’s high-speed internet to their customers in India. Unlike conventional satellite services that rely on distant geostationary satellites, Starlink uses the world’s largest low Earth orbit or LEO constellation satellites (550 km above the Earth). This constellation of LEO satellites — 7,000 now but eventually set to grow to over 40,000 — and its mesh delivers broadband internet capable of supporting streaming, online gaming, and video calls. Built to endure extreme cold, heat, hail, heavy rain and even gale, Starlink can stay connected in harsh and severe weather conditions, and in remote topography. It is particularly suited for rural and underserved areas where traditional Internet modes like fibre or cable are unavailable or unreliable. Starlink satellites communicate with ground stations and user terminals to deliver ‘broadband from the skies’. In this broadband service, experts say that download speeds typically average between 50 to 150 Mbps, with occasional peaks at 200 Mbps. Most users experience speeds above 100 Mbps. “Latency is generally between 20 and 60 milliseconds, which can support gaming and video calls,” they say. Starlink has been on an expansion spree and its footprint is expanding across regions, including North America, Europe, Australia, and parts of Asia, South America, and Africa. It has often proven vital during natural disasters and conflicts. A case in point is the strategic Internet connectivity Starlink provides to war-ravaged Ukraine and its military. As of today, Starlink services beam into more than 100 countries, and the company has been eyeing India’s lucrative satellite broadband service market. As per a FICCI-EY report, India’s space economy is poised to touch a staggering $44 billion by 2033 from $8.4 billion in 2022. Timeline of Starlink’s journey in India:Nov 26, 2021: DoT asks Elon Musk’s Starlink to stop pre-bookings for satellite Internet services; says company ‘not a licencee’. Sep 27, 2024: Trai starts industry-wide consultation to explore methodology, price for assigning spectrum to satellite companies to provide calling, messaging, broadband and other services in the country. Oct 4, 2024: Jio writes to Trai chief; seeks revised paper on satellite spectrum allocation saying the one circulated ignores level-playing field between satellite and terrestrial services. Oct 15, 2024: At India Mobile Conference (IMC), Sunil Bharti Mittal surprises many as he advocates for a bidding route for companies keen on satcom spectrum. Oct 15, 2024: Speaking at IMC, telecom minister Jyotiraditya Scindia rejects telcos’ demand to auction satcom spectrum; says radiowaves for satcom will be allocated administratively but not without a cost. Oct 16, 2024: Musk thanks Minister Scindia for opposing auction of satellite pectrum; says he is looking forward to serving Indians. Nov 8, 2024: Market rivals Jio, Bharti Airtel band together to take on satellite players during a marathon six-hour discussion at TRAI open house. Mar 11, 2025: In a surprising turn of events, Bharti Airtel announces an agreement with Elon Musk-led SpaceX to offer the US-based company’s high-speed internet services under Starlink to its customers in India. Mar 12, 2025: Billionaire Mukesh Ambani’s Jio Platforms follows suit; announces it has struck a deal with SpaceX to bring Starlink’s broadband internet services to India. Mar 19, 2025: Vodafone Idea says it is in exploratory talks with various satcom providers including Starlink. May 5, 2025: Govt mandates legal interception of satcom services, bars data routing outside the country. May 7, 2025: Department of Telecom issues Letter of Intent to Starlink for satcom services.
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