Elon Musk’s satellite internet company, Starlink, has secured an important regulatory approval from India’s Department of Telecommunications (DoT). With the Global Mobile Personal Communication by Satellite (GMPCS) license granted, Starlink is now the third firm allowed to provide satellite-based internet services in India, joining Bharti Airtel-Eutelsat’s OneWeb and Reliance Jio.
According to media report, Communications Minister Jyotiraditya Scindia confirmed the development, adding that the next step involves allocating spectrum. Once that’s done, large-scale services can commence. Speaking to the media, Scindia expressed confidence that satellite telecom services will quickly become fully operational across the country, and he expects the customer base in India to expand significantly.
Starlink, run by SpaceX, has been interested in entering the Indian market since 2021 but had to pause its initial plans and refund pre-order payments because of regulatory issues. This recent approval signals a fresh push into one of the world’s most promising satellite internet markets, while competitors like Amazon’s Project Kuiper are still waiting for clearance.
Scindia highlighted the importance of satellite connectivity in bridging the digital divide, especially in remote and underserved areas where laying fibre or mobile networks is difficult. “Earlier, there was only fixed line. Today, there is mobile connectivity, broadband, and optical fibre. Along with these, satellite connectivity is also very important,” he said.
With the GMPCS licence secured, India’s satellite communications industry is poised to grow rapidly, delivering broadband from space via low-earth orbit satellite networks and potentially revolutionizing connectivity across the entire region.