Starlink To Establish Nine Gateway Stations In India: Report
The stations will reportedly be created in cities such as Mumbai, Noida, and Lucknow.
Elon Musk’s satellite internet venture, Starlink, is moving closer to its long-awaited rollout in India. The company is building the necessary infrastructure for its commercial launch, with nine gateway Earth stations planned across major urban centres such as Mumbai, Noida, and Lucknow, according to a report in the Economic Times (ET).
Authorities have so far permitted the import of a limited batch of 100 user terminals solely for testing fixed satellite services, under strict security protocols aimed at ensuring compliance and preventing misuse.
According to officials cited by ET, Starlink proposed bringing in overseas specialists to assist with operations at its planned gateway stations across India. However, the government has directed that, for now, only Indian citizens can manage these facilities until the Ministry of Home Affairs completes security vetting for foreign personnel.
Starlink intends to position its gateway earth stations in key cities, including Chandigarh, Hyderabad, Kolkata, Lucknow, Mumbai, and Noida. These stations will form the essential ground infrastructure that facilitates communication by acting as relay points, linking the Starlink satellite network with the country’s terrestrial internet systems.
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Starlink has reportedly applied for a bandwidth capacity of 600 gigabits per second across India, utilising its first-generation satellite constellation. “The spectrum has been assigned on a provisional basis for demonstrating security related compliances,” an official said as per the report.
According to the report, Starlink has been authorised to deploy a limited set of equipment, including its V4 and mini user terminals, gateway antennas, HP flat terminals, and Gen 3 routers, exclusively for trial runs.
The same infrastructure is expected to transition into commercial use once regulatory clearances are granted. However, until the testing phase concludes successfully, the company is prohibited from offering any paid satellite internet services in India.
All data generated during the security compliance tests must be stored within Indian territory to ensure strict oversight. Starlink is also obliged to safeguard its equipment against unauthorised access. Additionally, the company is required to regularly provide the Department of Telecommunications (DoT) and relevant security agencies with detailed information about the deployed terminals, including their names, locations, and precise geographic coordinates.
