Elon Musks Starlink to get approval to launch satellite connectivity in India by next week

Elon Musk-owned Starlink satellite broadband firm is all set to make its India arrival soon. A new report suggests that the company is supposed to receive a nod from the Indian government to begin functioning in India. If it gets approval, it will be the third company to work on Satellite connectivity in the country. Also Read: Elon Musk's Starlink Secures Final Approval To Enter India's Satellite Internet Market, Launch Expected Soon

Startlink’s India debut appears right around the corner

According to a report by Moneycontrol, Musk’s Starlink will receive long-pending approval by the Indian government. The Department of Telecommunications’s (DoT) Neeraj Mittal and the Minister of Communications, Ashwani Vaishnav, are said to be preparing a note for the approval. Also Read: Vodafone Idea To Launch Satellite-Based Mobile Connectivity In India: How Will It Benefit You?

Once they prepare the note, the department’s Satellite Communications Wing (SCW) will issue the approval to Starlink. Starlink is expected to receive the letter of intent (LoI) by Wednesday. Also Read: Elon Musk's Starlink Finally Gets License In India To Operate: How It Will Benefit You?

It is worth noting that back in 2021, Starlink began to take pre-orders for the satellite connectivity and it managed to receive over 5,000 pre-orders. However, it was stopped by DoT saying that it did not have a commercial license to offer its services in India. Hence, the pre-order fees were refunded by the company.

In November 2022, the firm began initiating the process of applying for the global mobile personal communication by satellite services (GMPCS) license. Now, it is expected to clear the checks to start its functioning in the country.

Starlink will be the third company offering satcom services after Jio Satellite Communications and OneWeb, which is owned by Bharti Airtel. Both Jio and OneWeb have already received a GMPCS license.

Jio announced JioSpace Fiber, satellite internet, on October 27, 2023, at India Mobile Congress (IMC), and became the first one to do so in India. However, it’s not available for usage yet and the pricing is under wraps. That’s because it is awaiting other approvals such as an authorisation from The Indian National Space Promotion and Authorisation Centre (IN-Space).

What is Satellite internet and how it works?

Satellite internet is a type of internet connectivity that works even when there’s no cellular network. Unlike traditional broadband internet which requires infrastructure like cables and fiber-optic lines, Satellite internet uses signals from the satellites orbiting the Earth.

For this to work, users are required to set up a satellite dish or a modem in their house. The dish or modem will then get signals from the satellite that’s up in space and finally offer you Internet connectivity.