Permission granted to start Starlink services in India, Musk's company's license issued; but this work will have to be done

News Topical, Digital Desk : India's space regulator In-Space has issued a licence to Starlink, run by US tycoon Elon Musk, to provide satellite-based internet services in the country, clearing a regulatory hurdle for the company to enter the Indian market.

Starlink's services will make calling and connectivity possible in India even without mobile towers. This will provide high-speed internet facility in rural and remote areas. The Indian National Space Promotion and Authorization Center (IN-SPACe) said in a statement that Starlink has been approved to arrange a group of satellites i.e. 'Starlink Gen1'.

The company was waiting for the license since 2022

This will enable the company to provide satellite-based communication services in India. This approval is valid for a period of five years from July 8 or till the end of the operations of the 'Gen1' group (whichever is earlier). According to Reuters, Elon Musk's company was waiting for a license to operate commercially in India since 2022.

Last month, it received a launch licence from India's telecom ministry, but is awaiting a green light from the space regulator. Starlink will now have to secure spectrum from the government, set up infrastructure on the ground and demonstrate through testing that it meets the safety rules it has agreed to.

The Starlink Gen1 constellation is a global system consisting of 4,408 satellites. These satellites are orbiting the Earth at an altitude of 540 km to 570 km. This system is capable of providing internet service in India at a capacity of about 600 gigawatts per second. Last month, Starlink became the third company to receive a license from the Department of Telecommunications to provide satellite-based internet services in India after Eutelsat OneWeb and Jio Satellite Communications.

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