SpaceX will soon apply for a permit to launch its Starlink internet service in India, after being forced earlier this year to refund customers who had already placed a preorder.
According to a report by The Economic Times citing people familiar with the plans, SpaceX will apply to India’s Department of Telecommunications (DoT) for a “global mobile personal communications by satellite services (GMPCS) permit.”
Additionally, the report said SpaceX will seek statutory approvals from the government for landing rights and market access in order to setup local gateways in the country.
With the application, SpaceX will become the third company to seek such a permit after OneWeb and Reliance Jio, both of which are also preparing to launch satellite based broadband internet services in India.
Earlier this year the Indian government asked SpaceX to provide refunds to the more than 5,000 customers who had placed pre-orders for Starlink service. The request was made because SpaceX did not have a license to operate, and it was unclear at the time when they would receive one.
Before the setback, SpaceX has said it hoped to deploy over 200,000 active terminals in over 160,000 districts in India by the end of December 2022.
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Source: The Economic Times
