The Department of Telecommunications (DoT) has rolled out a comprehensive set of security regulations for satellite communication (satcom) service providers, aimed at ensuring lawful interception and safeguarding national data. The rules strictly prohibit linking user connections to terminals or facilities located outside India’s borders and ban the processing of user data overseas. Additionally, providers are required to localise at least 20 per cent of their ground infrastructure within a few years of beginning operations in the country.
As per the new guidelines, companies must obtain security clearances for each gateway and hub location in India. They must also ensure compliance with mandatory interception and monitoring systems before launching services.
Providers are expected to demonstrate their system’s monitoring capabilities to the DoT or its authorised personnel. Moreover, they must establish special surveillance zones within 50 km of the country’s international borders and coastal regions, including the exclusive economic zone (EEZ), to facilitate monitoring by security and law enforcement agencies.
The norms also mandate that sensitive data must not be accessible or visible from outside India. Furthermore, satcom providers must ensure that user terminals cannot connect from outside the geo-fenced coverage area or via gateways situated abroad. Further, similar to conventional telecom operators, satcom firms will be required to block access to websites that are restricted within India. They must also submit an undertaking confirming that no Indian telecom data will be copied or decrypted outside the country.
Furthermore, devices registered in India will be barred from connecting to any foreign-based gateway. These conditions are designed to maintain data sovereignty and prevent unauthorised foreign access to Indian networks.
These measures come as India prepares to open up satcom services to the general public for the first time, prompting the need for robust safeguards against potential misuse, particularly by criminal or terrorist groups. Several major players are actively vying to roll out their services in India. Moreover, the guidelines are expected to receive formal approval based on ongoing recommendations from the Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI).
