Starlink has reportedly received a satellite communication (satcom) licence from the Department of Telecommunications (DoT), becoming the third company after Eutelsat-OneWeb and the Jio-SES consortium to offer commercial satcom services in India.
The firm has been granted a Global Mobile Personal Communication by Satellite (GMPCS) permit, and trial spectrum allocation is expected in the coming days. Following the spectrum allocation, Starlink will need to demonstrate compliance with government-mandated security conditions before launching services.
In addition, the company must secure approval from the Indian National Space Promotion and Authorization Centre (IN-SPACe). While Starlink has submitted the required documentation, final clearance is still awaited.
Further, the rollout of commercial services hinges on meeting all regulatory and security requirements. Meanwhile, the DoT is in the process of finalising satcom spectrum pricing and allocation rules based on recommendations from the Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI), which has proposed administrative allocation at 4 per cent of adjusted gross revenue (AGR) for five years. Additionally, a subscriber fee of Rs 500 per year would apply in urban areas, with no charge in rural regions and no upfront spectrum cost.
