New Delhi: Elon Musk’s satellite communications company, Starlink, is reportedly preparing for a large-scale rollout in India with plans to establish nine gateway earth stations across key cities, including Mumbai, Noida, Chandigarh, Hyderabad, Kolkata and Lucknow.
The Department of Telecommunications (DoT) has provisionally assigned spectrum to Starlink to conduct demonstrations and validate its security-related compliances before commercial launch.
The company has reportedly sought 600 Gbps capacity over India using its Gen 1 satellite constellation. Current approvals allow Starlink to import 100 user terminals and demonstrate fixed satellite services under stringent security conditions.
Authorities have imposed strict rules to prevent potential misuse of satellite networks, which are considered part of India’s critical security infrastructure. According to reports, the government has restricted the involvement of foreign technical experts in gateway operations until they receive clearance from the Ministry of Home Affairs, permitting only Indian nationals to manage the installations in the interim.
India’s security agencies have been maintaining close oversight of satellite-based communication systems following earlier concerns about the unauthorised use of Starlink terminals in restricted regions such as Manipur and the Andaman and Nicobar Islands.
The Ministry of Home Affairs had, in March, directed the DoT to investigate these incidents, underscoring the importance of compliance and national data protection.
Under current guidelines, Starlink is barred from offering commercial satellite internet services during the demonstration phase. The company must ensure data localisation, with all operational data stored within India and provide fortnightly reports detailing equipment locations and usage patterns.
The final allocation of regular spectrum will depend on Starlink’s adherence to security standards and the government’s upcoming satcom policy framework.
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