Starlink gets DoT licence for offering broadband services in India: report

Starlink, a communication satellite company owned by Elon Musk’s SpaceX, is reported to have received the Global Mobile Personal Communication by Satellite (GMPCS) licence from the Department of Telecommunications (DoT), which is necessary for staring operations in India.

Starlink will be the third company after the UK-based Eutelsat OneWeb and Reliance Industries’ Jio Satellite Communications, to receive government’s approval for starting satellite broadband service in the country.

Starlink, which has been trying for years to be a part of the Indian connectivity ecosystem, can now start operations in the country subject to receipt of necessary broadband spectrum. 

However, there are a few regulatory hurdles for Starlink to overcome before it can hope to start commercial services in the country. 

DoT has the administrative power to allocate spectrum to satellite broadband service providers, which makes it possible for companies to proceed with their business plans.

Starlink, which provides broadband solutions across a wide spectrum, including land, air and sea connectivity. This solves a key problem of not getting connectivity in remote areas where telecom operators haven’t deployed cellular services.

Starlink is also bringing a Direct-to-Cell service wherein customers will be able to send texts and use data through the satellite network in case of emergencies when the mobile networks are down.