Starlink will receive a license to provide internet services in India by next month, according to a report. The company has met all regulatory requirements. Once the license is received, Starlink will have the right to allocate spectrum.
According to a report by Financial Express (via Business Standard), Starlink is expected to receive a Global Mobile Personal Communications Satellite (GMPCS) license from the government in India by next month. Once the license is obtained, Starlink will have the right to allocate spectrum. This will pave the way for the company to provide satellite broadband services. Sources familiar with the situation said that SpaceX has complied with all Indian regulatory requirements.
Approval is now awaited. Once all formalities are completed, the Ministry of Space will issue the operator with an official permit to operate in the country. The company is also awaiting clearance from the Department of Telecommunications (DoT) and the Ministry of Home Affairs. All these permits will have to be granted by next month, the report said. Once this process is complete, Starlink will begin selling equipment and providing services in a country with more than one billion potential users.
Starlink applied for a GMPCS license in October last year. In July, the company applied to the Indian National Space Promotion & Authorization Center (IN-SPACe) for permission to install ground stations. This year, India changed its space policy. Foreign companies are now allowed to build infrastructure and offer satellite communications services in India. India’s new Space Policy 2023 has empowered IN-SPACe to act as the sole agency to authorize the full range of space activities.
