Elon Musk's Starlink Can Get Green Light As DoT Issues New Satellite Licence Norms

The Department of Telecommunications put out detailed satellite broadband licence terms on Monday, paving way for Elon Musk-owned telecom company Starlink to operate in India.

With the new rules in place, companies must comply with all security-related requirements outlined in the regulations.

The move comes after months of regulatory scrutiny by the DoT, which insisted that satellite-based service providers must meet compliance standards before offering their services in India.

With the release of new security guidelines for global mobile personal communications by satellite licence holders, India has taken a major step towards enabling a new generation of satellite internet services.

The directive by the DoT outlines clear conditions for lawful interception, data localisation, infrastructure deployment and user tracking, setting the stage for Starlink's long-anticipated entry into the India market.

The 29-point directive mandates that all Indian user data must be routed through gateways located within India, with critical infrastructure like network control centres and monitoring systems that should be based on the Indian soil.

Real-time monitoring capabilities, integration with India's centralised monitoring system and enforcement of geofencing restrictions are non-negotiable.

Guidelines also require that Indian users not be connected via foreign gateways or servers, and impose strict limits on traffic routing, remote access and data visibility from outside the country.

A long-term indigenisation clause mandates that at least 20% of Stralink's ground segment must be sourced or built in India within five years. The updated framework comes amid increasing public interest in Starlink's India plans.

Union minister Jyotiraditya Scindia had said recently that Starlink's licence application was under review and a decision would follow once it ticked all the boxes in terms of regulatory and security compliances.