Tech
Elon Musk's Starlink Likely To Receive Green Light To Offer Satellite Internet In India; Here's All That We Know So Far
Elon Musk (File Photo) (Kevork Djansezian/GettyImages)
Elon Musk's Starlink most likely secure permission from the telecom ministry to offer services in India.
According to a report from The Times of India, a high-level meeting is scheduled for later this month to discuss Starlink's proposal for a global mobile personal communication by satellite (GMPCS) services license.
This development will be closely watched as it could have significant implications for the future of the satellite internet project.
According to the same report, "The meeting is likely to give an approval to the proposal, though we cannot rule out certain last-minute hiccups that may cause some more delays."
Reliance Jio and One Web, led by Sunil Mittal, have already obtained the GMPPCS license in India. This puts them ahead in the race to establish satellite internet services in the country.
As for Starlink's next steps in India, it is unclear at this point.
The outcome of the meeting and any potential delays will likely determine the course of action for Elon Musk's ambitious project in the country.
As per the report, Starlink will need to obtain approval from various government departments and the Department of Space before it can begin operations in India.
In late 2021, the Telecom Ministry reprimanded Starlink, a company backed by Elon Musk, for accepting advance payments from customers without having obtained the necessary license.
The Ministry instructed Starlink to refund the money to the approximately 5,000 customers who had pre-ordered its services in India.
Elon Musk has expressed the importance of Starlink in India, stating that it can be incredibly beneficial in remote villages that lack internet access or high-speed services.
Following a meeting with Prime Minister Narendra Modi in the United States, Elon Musk stated that Starlink has the potential to be incredibly helpful in remote villages in India that currently do not have internet access or reliable high-speed services, according to Reuters.
Starlink has urged the Indian government to avoid auctioning the spectrum and instead allocate licenses based on the global trend.
The company argues that the spectrum is a natural resource that should be shared by all companies. It fears that an auction could lead to geographical restrictions and increased costs.
This plea was made public by the Indian government last month.
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