Musk’s Plan For A Starlink Shop In India Won’t Be An Easy Road

Starlink is the world’s first and largest satellite constellation using a low Earth orbit to deliver broadband internet capable of supporting streaming, online gaming, video calls and more.

New Delhi: The meeting between the world’s richest person and the prime minister of world’s largest democracy was closely watched by every new enthusiast. We’re talking about the latest meeting Elon Musk had with Prime Minister Narendra Modi in the United States of America.

Known to speak and (lately) tweet in a very eccentric manner, Musk was extremely cautious about the meeting with PM Modi. The reason is simple. Even with a slip of tongue, Musk cannot afford to upset a huge market such as India or the Indian diaspora living abroad.

“I am incredibly excited about the future of India. India has more promise than any large country in the world. PM Modi really cares about India as he’s pushing to make significant investments in India. I am a fan of Modi. It was fantastic meeting and I like him quite a lot,” Musk said after meeting the prime minister.

After the meeting, Musk told the media that Tesla and Starlink will soon be coming to India. Prior to the meeting between PM Modi and Elon Musk, both Tesla and New Delhi had revived talks about incentives to bring the carmaker to India. As per TechCrunch, SpaceX representatives also revived conversations with the telecom ministry in India in recent weeks for setting up satellite internet service Starlink in the country.

What is Starlink?

Starlink is the world’s first and largest satellite constellation using a low Earth orbit to deliver broadband internet capable of supporting streaming, online gaming, video calls and more.

Leveraging advanced satellites and user hardware coupled with our deep experience with both spacecraft and on-orbit operations, Starlink delivers high-speed, low-latency internet to users all over the world.

Is Starlink Really Coming To India?

As per a report by the Economic Times quoting sources, Starlink has submitted an application to the Indian National Space Promotion & Authorisation Centre (IN-SPACe) to obtain clearances for establishing earth stations.

The Ministry of Home Affairs is currently conducting a security check for Starlink’s GMPCS license, which is expected to be granted within the next couple of months, the report added.

“Starlink have applied to IN-Space, further adding he said that GMPCS application is under process. Giving further update on Starlink’s GMPCS, officials aware of the matter also added that security check from ministry of home affairs is underway and is likely to be granted in a couple of months. Meanwhile, SpaceX is the third company to apply for the licence as Bharti Group-backed OneWeb and Reliance Jio Infocomm’s satellite arm have already secured a GMPCS licence,” a government official told ET.

This move marks a significant step for Starlink’s entry into India, where it will face competition from other players such as OneWeb (backed by Bharti Group), Amazon, and Reliance Jio’s satcom arm. In addition to the IN-SPACe application, Starlink had previously applied to the Department of Telecommunications (DoT) for a global mobile personal communication by satellite services (GMPCS) licence.

Last year, SpaceX had applied to the Department of Telecommunications (DoT) for a global mobile personal communication by satellite services (GMPCS) licence to launch broadband-from-space services in India under its Starlink brand.

Reliance Resists Starlink

While he confirmed about the launch of Startlink, Elon Musk said that the launch of Starlink in India “can be incredibly helpful” in remote villages that have no internet or lack high-speed services.

The billionaire CEO of Tesla also added that he had a “very good” conversation with PM Modi and said that the electric vehicles maker will try to be in India “as soon as humanly possible”.

However, Elon Musk-led Starlink is seeking licence for the spectrum without an auction, saying it is a natural resource that should be shared by companies.

Reliance has put a stop to Starlink’s move by calling for an auction. It says foreign satellite service providers could offer voice and data services and compete with traditional telecom players, and so there must be an auction to achieve a level playing field.

As per a Reuters report quoting an industry source with direct knowledge said Reliance will continue nudging the Indian government to auction satellite spectrum, and not agree to the demands of foreign companies.

Reliance’s Satellite Venture

In February 2022, Jio Platforms Ltd and global satellite-based content connectivity solutions provider SES announced a joint venture (JV) to deliver affordable broadband services in the country via satellite technology.

The company stated that it has entered into a multi-year capacity purchase agreement with Luxembourg-based SES, with a total contract value of about $100 million.

“This joint venture will be a catalyst for connecting the unconnected areas within India and the region to the full range of digital services, offering access to remote health, government services, and distance learning opportunities,” a release by the company said.

“This joint venture with JPL is a great example of how SES can complement even the most extensive terrestrial networks to deliver high-quality connectivity, and positively affect the lives of hundreds of millions of people,” said Steve Collar, CEO of SES.

Airtel Stays On Track

Bharti Airtel had in January 2022 announced a joint venture with Hughes Communications. This JV is entering into a six-year partnership with UK-based OneWeb (partly owned by Airtel) to offer satellite-based broadband services in India, through low earth orbit (LEO) satellites.

This partnership has access to 200,000 very-small-aperture terminals (VSATs) which are two-way satellite ground stations with dish antennas.

Starlink’s Earlier Venture India

This is not Starlink’s first attempt to enter the Indian market. In 2021, the company attempted a launch in India, however the government halted services of Starlink for taking bookings without a license.

Starlink has been granted two licences from the government of Mongolia to operate as an internet service provider using low-orbit satellites. Earlier this month, Australia’s top telecom firm Telstra Group said that it will partner with Elon Musk’s Starlink to provide fixed broadband and voice services to rural Australians.

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