On Tuesday, Communications Minister Jyotiraditya Scindia revealed that the central government has issued a license to Starlink, the internet technology company founded by Elon Musk, allowing it to operate in India.
Starlink offers high-speed internet access to remote areas through low Earth orbit satellites. Its upcoming launch has ignited intense discussions in India regarding issues such as predatory pricing and spectrum allocation.
“Had a productive meeting with Ms Gwynne Shotwell, President & COO of SpaceX, on India’s next frontier in connectivity. We delved into opportunities for collaboration in satellite communications to power Digital India’s soaring ambitions and empower every citizen across the country. With India’s digital revolution under the leadership of PM Narendra Modi, satellite technologies are not just relevant, they’re transformative. Ms Shotwell appreciated the license granted to Starlink, calling it a great start to the journey,” he wrote on X.
In March, two of India’s largest telecom companies, Jio and Airtel, announced collaborations with SpaceX to provide Starlink internet services to their customers. These two firms hold over 70 percent of the Indian telecom market.
Starlink is the third entity, following Eutelsat OneWeb and Jio Satellite Communications, to receive a license from the Department of Telecommunications for satellite internet services in India. A fourth applicant, Amazon’s Kuiper, is still awaiting approval.
Starlink was created by SpaceX, the American aerospace manufacturer and space transportation company established in 2002 by Elon Musk, the world’s wealthiest individual.
How does Starlink function?
In contrast to traditional satellite services that depend on far-off geostationary satellites, Starlink employs the largest low Earth orbit (LEO) constellation in the world, positioned 550 km above the Earth.
This network of LEO satellites, currently numbering 7,000 and expected to expand to over 40,000, along with its mesh technology, provides broadband internet capable of supporting streaming, online gaming, and video calls.
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