Starlink has received a Letter of Intent (LoI) from India’s Department of Telecommunications (DoT).
The service will be offered through partnerships with Reliance Jio and Bharti Airtel.
Starlink's prices are expected to be higher than Jio and Airtel’s broadband options.
Elon Musk’s SpaceX-owned Starlink has reportedly received approval from the Indian government to operate in the country. According to MoneyControl, the Department of Telecommunications (DoT) has issued the company a Letter of Intent (LoI). This means that the company will be able to offer satellite-based internet services under the Global Mobile Personal Communication by Satellite (GMPCS), Very Small Aperture Terminal (VSAT), and Internet Service Provider (ISP) licenses.
SurveyAccording to the report, the LoI was issued after the Elon Musk-led company agreed to meet the Indian government’s stringent licensing and security requirements, which included data localisation, lawful interception capabilities, gateway security clearance, and local manufacturing.
According to a report citing senior government officials, the operating licence will be issued once Starlink has met all of the conditions outlined in the LoI. This comes just days after the government tightened security measures for satellite internet providers.
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For those unfamiliar, Starlink has already collaborated with Indian telecom operators Reliance Jio and Bharti. Both companies will provide Starlink internet services through their retail and online channels.
It’s worth noting that the Starlink launch timeline, plans, pricing, and other details are still unknown. However, according to the report, the Starlink plan prices are high and may cost more than Jio and Airtel’s broadband options. It remains to be seen how Starlink will position and price its offerings.
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SpaceX’s Starlink services are currently available in over 125 countries and are billed as the world’s largest satellite constellation, with over 6,750 satellites. It is said to provide speeds of more than 220 Mbps in certain areas. However, exact speeds remain unknown.
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Ashish Singh
Ashish Singh is the Chief Copy Editor at Digit. He's been wrangling tech jargon since 2020 (Times Internet, Jagran English '22). When not policing commas, he's likely fueling his gadget habit with coffee, strategising his next virtual race, or plotting a road trip to test the latest in-car tech. He speaks fluent Geek. View Full Profile
