Elon Musk’s Starlink set to get license for satellite broadband operations in India

By: Pune Pulse

November 9, 2023

Pune: According to reports, the government is likely to grant approval for voice and data communication services provided by Elon Musk’s Starlink. According to a source, Starlink has provided satisfactory responses regarding its data storage and transfer regulations.

Once the security check is completed, the company will be granted a global mobile personal communication by satellite services (GMPCS) license to offer their services. Starlink had initially informed the Indian authorities that they would adhere to international data transfer and storage laws due to their global presence.

However, this proposal was rejected by the Indian authorities. In order to obtain an Indian license, Starlink has now agreed to comply with the requirement of locally storing the data, as stated by a second source. The report also mentions that the company did not respond to any queries.

The granting of the GMPCS license will allow Starlink to provide messaging services, voice services, and broadband to individuals and organizations in India. In September, a ‘high-level meeting’ was scheduled to discuss the GMPCS license application filed by the SpaceX subsidiary. It is worth mentioning that Reliance Jio and One Web, owned by Sunil Mittal, have already obtained the GMPCS license in India.

If Starlink’s application is approved, it would become the third satellite communications (satcom) company to receive this license. Additionally, Amazon Chief Jeff Bezos, like Elon Musk, has also expressed interest in entering this market. However, the government is yet to consider Bezos’ application.