New Delhi: Union Communications Minister Jyotiraditya Scindia on Wednesday said that all due diligence processes have been completed from their end for the entry of SpaceX’s Starlink service in India, and once they receive the necessary regulatory and licensing approvals from the space regulator, they can roll out the service in the country whenever they wish to.
Speaking to IANS in the national capital, the Union Minister said all the processes from the Ministry’s end are completed for the entry of affordable satellite-based service into the country, and the Elon Musk-run company now needs necessary approvals from the Indian National Space Promotion and Authorisation Centre (IN-SPACe), which is India’s space regulator.
“Now the ball is in Starlink’s court to begin their services in India after receiving those approvals,” Scindia said.
SpaceX’s Starlink satellite internet service is inching closer to operational status in the country. Starlink is likely to start providing services in India within the next two months.
IN-SPACe Chairman, Dr Pawan Goenka, has also confirmed in reports that most of the regulatory and licensing requirements for Starlink have been addressed.
IN-SPACe was constituted in June 2020 following the government’s decision to open up the space sector and enable the participation of the Indian private sector in the gamut of space activities. It acts as a single-window, independent, nodal agency which functions as an autonomous agency of the Department of Space (DOS).
The space regulator has already issued a draft letter of intent (LOI) to the company. Once both sides sign this document, Starlink will be officially cleared to roll out its services in the Indian market.
Starlink provides internet through a network of satellites orbiting Earth. The company currently operates the world’s largest constellation of satellites, with more than 6,750 in orbit.
According to the company, Starlink offers fast internet with low delay, making it suitable even for remote areas with limited connectivity. In Asia, Starlink services are already available in several countries, including Mongolia, Japan, the Philippines, Malaysia, Indonesia, Jordan, Yemen, Azerbaijan and now, Sri Lanka.
Globally, it serves users in over 100 countries, offering both residential and roaming internet plans.
The residential plans are usually offered in two categories: Residential Lite for smaller households with lower data needs, and Residential for larger families or heavier usage.
(IANS)
