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The LoI was issued to Starlink on Wednesday even as Elon Musk’s company has agreed to the security terms, according to a PTI report citing sources.
Starlink is a satellite internet service developed by SpaceX — the American aerospace manufacturer and space transportation company founded in 2002 by the world’s richest man Elon Musk.
In a major news for Elon Musk, the government has issued a letter of intent (LoI) to Starlink for its satellite communication (satcom) services in India. Elon Musk’s company has agreed to the security terms, according to the PTI report citing sources.
The nod for the satcom offering — known for its resilience in harsh conditions and conflict zones — came on a day when India pounded terror camps in Pakistan and POK in pre-dawn strikes, retaliating to the Pahalgam massacre.
DoT sources, however, said that the decision was independent of the developments of the day, according to the report.
Starlink, a satellite internet service developed by Elon Musk-led American aerospace manufacturer SpaceX, provides high-speed, low-latency broadband internet worldwide using satellite technology.
Unlike conventional satellite services that rely on distant geostationary satellites, Starlink utilises the world’s largest low Earth orbit or LEO constellation (550 km above Earth).
SpaceX, founded in 2002 by the world’s richest man Musk, has 7,000 LEO satellites and plans to expand it to over 40,000. The satellites constellation and its mesh delivers broadband internet capable of supporting streaming, online gaming, and video calls.
Earlier, the government issued licences to Eutelsat OneWeb and Jio Satellite Communications. These companies will be able to start their services after the allocation of radio wave frequencies.
Telecom regulator TRAI is finalising the recommendations for the allocation of satcom spectrum on an administrative basis.
Earlier this week, the government issued stringent security norms mandating legal interception of satellite communication services and barred companies from linking connection of users in any form with any terminal or facility located outside the country’s border as well as processing of their data overseas.
The tighter security rules also mandate service providers to indigenise at least 20 per cent of their ground segment of the satellite network within years of their establishment in the country.
According to the instruction, the satcom service licence holder will require security clearances for specific gateway and hub locations in India and compliance to monitoring, interception facilities and equipment requirements.
India’s rules mandate satcom firms to demonstrate system capabilities with respect to security aspects, including monitoring, to the Department of Telecom (DoT) or its authorised representatives before starting operations in India.
Starlink, which had been vying for a India license for some time now, recently signed pacts with Reliance Jio and Bharti Airtel, which together control more than 70 per cent of the country’s telecom market, to bring the US satellite internet giant’s services to India.
Musk is scheduled to visit India later this year.
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