Starlink To Conduct Spectrum Test From Navi Mumbai Terminal, Plans 20 Earth Stations In India

Elon Musk’s satellite internet venture Starlink plans to conduct its Spectrum test from the Navi Mumbai Terminals. DoT Sources told NDTV Profit that Starlink also plans to set up 20 earth stations or gateways in India across Noida, Chennai, and Navi Mumbai.

Out of them, three sites are currently being built or are under construction. The gateway infrastructure will require atleast 50,000 terminals. According to sources, the user terminals will be imported from Texas, LA, and Seattle.

Sources said Starlink received the provisional spectrum or test spectrum on Aug. 12. This comes as the Department of Telecommunications and Telecom Regulatory Authority of India are yet to reach a consensus on certain regulatory issues around spectrum pricing.

Starlink had received trial spectrum to build its ground infrastructure and conduct security compliance tests in India. The company also holds a Global Mobile Personal Communication by Satellite (GMPCS) licence and authorisations from IN-SPACe to operate its satellites in India.

In July, Union Telecom Minister Jyotiraditya Scindia had announced that Starlink had received a licence to launch satellite service in India, and a framework for spectrum allocation is also in place for a smooth rollout. The announcement was made on the eve of the 30th anniversary of the first cellular call made in the country in 1995.

"Starlink has been granted a Unified License to launch satellite internet services in India. Frameworks for spectrum allocation and gateway establishment are ready, ensuring smooth rollout." Scindia said. Along with Starlink, Bharti Group-backed Eutelsat OneWeb and Jio SES are also awaiting spectrum allocation to roll out their satcom services.

Meanwhile, Starlink has also partnered with Unique Identification Authority of India (UIDAI) to utilise Aadhaar-based authentication for customer verification for its satellite internet services in India. Starlink can onboard up to 20 lakh customers in India with its current capacity. Using Aadhaar authentication reflects a strong synergy between India’s trusted digital ID and global satellite technology.