Elon Musk’s expected centrality in the incoming Donald Trump administration in the US has egged the Department of Telecommunications (DoT) into sorting out issues related to the satellite communications industry, where Musk’s Starlink has applied for a licence to operate in India.
Sources told businessline that one of the key issues under consideration by the DoT is the finalisation of spectrum pricing, which is currently being reviewed by the Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI).
Sources say that DoT is also looking into security aspectswhile considering the demands made by the two American companies — Starlink and Amazon (project Kuiper).
“There are orders from the higher-ups to keep their files updated and see if there are any new comments or request from these companies,” a government official said.
Last month, the DoT had asked both the firms to submit information related to security compliance and is awaiting responses from them. It also said that reminders will be sent if they fail to submit the documents. Both the companies are yet to submit comments to the DoT.
The main issues raised by the Ministry of Home Affairs were related to national security. It involves customer application forms (CAF) along with proof of identity and address documents. The Home Ministry has particularly emphasised that details/ information of Indian customers should not go out of the country. The specification is that landing stations should be located within Indian airspace and data centres should reside within India.
After meeting such conditions, these companies can be issued Global Mobile Personal Communication by Satellite (GMPCS) services license, which is required for testing and offering satellite communication services in the country.
DoT officials said if Starlink and Amazon accept the conditions laid down by the Indian government, their applications would be forwarded for further processes.
Meanwhile, Musk has been demanding administrative allotment of licences in line with the global trend, to provide mobile telephony and Internet in India through Starlink.
Meanwhile, TRAI is also holding an Open House Discussion (OHD) on Consultation Paper on the Terms and Conditions for the Assignment of Spectrum for Certain Satellite-Based Commercial Communication Services
