The government has sought details from Starlink regarding its upcoming operations in Pakistan and Bangladesh. Sources aware of the incident gave this information. The subsidiary of Elon Musk’s unit SpaceX has been waiting for government approval for a long time to launch satellite communication services in India. In a recent surprise development, Airtel and Reliance Jio (both Satcom licensees) have announced a distribution tie-up with Starlink. This indicates that the American company is preparing to come to India.
An official of the Department of Telecommunications said, ‘There is some concern regarding security. A company providing communication services in India has to go through a lot of technical difficulties. Starlink has been asked to clarify its plans to operate in neighboring countries.
Last month, satcom operator Starlink received provisional registration from Pakistan’s space regulator. The government of Pakistan has said that it expects Starlink to receive full approval and begin operations by the end of 2025. On the other hand, the telecom authorities of Bangladesh have given license to Starlink to start operations earlier this week.
US company Starlink has promised to store data in servers in India and use the satellites only for authorized services in Indian territory. It has not yet formally accepted technical conditions with cross-border implications, such as surveillance zones and the creation of data buffer zones along international borders. There are restrictions on services in the data buffer zone and this zone is determined by the government.
Officials said the government told Starlink in its latest communication that the evaluation of its application was not being delayed but was part of the regular vetting process for national security issues. The Department of Telecommunications was contacted for information regarding this but no response was received.
Starlink provides satcom services to more than 100 countries through more than 7,000 low Earth orbit satellites. These satellites are operated by Elon Musk’s company SpaceX and Stalink is also owned by Musk. Starlink had applied for license for satellite-based broadband services in India in November 2022 and its application is still pending.
The Department of Telecommunications has already granted licenses to Airtel-invested Eutelsat OneWeb and Reliance Jio’s satellite arm Jio Space Limited. Last month, telecom operators Bharti Airtel and Reliance Jio had announced separate deals with Starlink. Under this, it will be easier for Airtel and Jio customers to distribute Starlink equipment and services in India.
The application is also being delayed due to the long list that Starlink has submitted seeking exemption from certain provisions, citing technical limitations to operate in India. As per MPCS rules the licensee must use the satellites in Indian territory only for authorized services, which do not involve activities that compromise national sovereignty and security.
Starlink’s application to offer satcom services in India was put on hold by the Department for Promotion of Industry and Internal Trade due to the company’s inability to comply with mandatory ownership disclosure norms. Starlink also had some run-ins with the government over rules requiring the licensee to provide call data records to security agencies upon request and to shut down services during times of crisis under government direction.
Starlink is also awaiting final approval from the Indian National Space Promotion and Authorization Centre. The Telecom Regulatory Authority of India is to give its recommendations on satellite spectrum.
First Published – May 1, 2025 | 11:57 PM IST
