Starlink In India: Elon Musk will directly compete with Mukesh Ambani, SpaceX is going to ask for Starlink’s permit.
Kolkata: India will soon witness a tussle between the world’s nobles. Elon Musk’s company SpaceX wants entry in the country’s satellite internet sector. The world’s richest personality, Musk is set to launch broadband services from space in India through Starlink. His company will soon apply to the Department of Telecommunications (DoT) for a Global Mobile Personal Communications by Satellite Services (GMPCS) permit. Musk’s move will put him in front of Bharti Group-backed OneWeb and the satellite arm of Mukesh Ambani’s Reliance Jio Infocomm. The satellite internet market in India is estimated to reach $13 billion by 2025. After OneWeb and Reliance Jio, SpaceX will be the third company to apply for this permit. A GMPCS permit is required for launching high-speed Internet services through Low Earth Orbit (LEO) satellites in the country.
According to sources, Musk’s company will seek separate approvals for landing rights and market access. This step will be important in terms of setting up Earth Stations (Satellite Gateway) in the country. SpaceX will have to get clearance from the National Space Promotion and Authorization Center (IN-SPACe) for this. IN-SPACe is a regulatory body that was created to increase private capital in the space sector.
Starlink’s network will be available in India as soon as approval is received
SpaceX also plans to get approvals from DoT for setting up a local gateway. SpaceX had not responded to questions from our colleague ‘The Economic Times’ until the news was published. According to the company’s website, Starlink is not available in India pending regulatory approval. Once permission is granted, coverage will be available in India as well.
About a year ago, the Ministry of Communications blocked the Indian arm of SpaceX from taking pre-orders for its satellite broadband services. The reasoning behind this was that the company did not have the relevant operating license.
