Starlink is reportedly one step closer to the launch of the company in India. As per a report, the satellite communications firm owned by Elon Musk is expected to receive the Global Mobile Personal Communication by Satellite (GMPCS) license from the Department of Telecommunications (DoT) in the near future. This license allows satellite-based network service providers to deploy satellite terminals, in accordance with international standards. But Amazon’s own satellite initiative can reportedly have to wait for the same permission in India.
Starlink to Soon Get GMPCS License
Source says that Starlink was granted time until June 7 to comply with all the security compliance terms as mentioned in the Letter of Intent (LoI) that was issued to the company owned by SpaceX last month, and it has complied.
“They had already submitted the necessary security-related requirements to meet the new license conditions, and had given undertakings on other guidelines,” the publication quoted a senior official as saying.
After acquiring the license, SpaceX will need to receive permission for Starlink’s services from Indian space regulator In-SPACe, for which application is reportedly in the final stages. The nod will come from the inter-ministerial standing committee (IMC), according to the report. The firm will then be allocated a provisional spectrum.
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Services Not to Start Immediately
But this does not imply that its services can start at once. According to the report, Starlink will have to establish gateways, a Network Operations Centre, and implement its “lawful” interception features. A nine-month waiting period is therefore anticipated for its setup operations to be fully ready, after which it can initiate its satellite communications services.
Amazon Kuiper Faces Delays in India
New reports suggested that Starlink may get challenged in India by Amazon Kuiper, but the latter is expected to be delayed in offering its own satellite services in the country. It will need to obtain the LoI from the DoT despite having allegedly met all of the mandates.
“There has been no meeting since December 2024, hence no progress on Kuiper’s application. Without the inter-ministerial standing committee meeting, a LoI can’t be issued,” the report quoted a second source as saying.
The Amazon firm is said to seek all the approvals ahead of when it rolls out commercial services. It is also said to have 10 gateways and two points of presence in India; Mumbai and Chennai. Starlink, for its part, will have two gateways in India.
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