Elon Musk's Starlink to Apply for Indian Licence by January 2022, Here's What the Government Warns

Starlink, Elon Musk's satellite internet startup, will begin offering Internet services in India soon. The Tesla-backed startup will seek a commercial license in India to provide consumers with high-speed internet access. The statement comes only days after the Indian government's Department of Telecommunications, Ministry of Communications told Starlink that it needed to secure the appropriate approval to offer satellite-based internet services in the nation.

Sanjay Bhargava, Starlink Country Director, said in a LinkedIn post on the company's plans to roll out internet services in India: "We hope to have applied for a commercial license on or before Jan. 31, 2022 (unless we hit some major roadblock)," Sanjay Bhargava, Starlink Country Director, India at SpaceX said in a LinkedIn post.

Starlink Wants to Cover 80% of India's Rural Region

NDTV said Starlink hopes to have installed 200,000 devices throughout India by Dec. 2022. Starlink intends to place 80 percent of the devices in rural regions. In a Linkedin article, Bhargava stated that providing 100 percent broadband connectivity in India will need coordination among stakeholders, service providers, and technology.

According to Bhargava, SpaceX now has a 100 percent-owned company in India, and it may seek permits and create bank accounts there. Customers who wanted to be on a priority list had to pay a deposit of $99 or $7350. The sum will be deducted from the monthly subscription if the services are active.

Bhargava added that Starlink would cooperate with rural populations that want 100 percent connectivity. Although difficult-to-reach locations will be handled by satellite carriers such as Starlink, the firm intends to deliver the services via terrestrial broadband.

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Indian Gov't Tells Public Not To Starlink Yet

According to Reuters, India has told the public not to buy Starlink yet. The Indian government requires the corporation to secure a license to operate in the country before providing services.

"Public is advised not to subscribe to Starlink services being advertised," a tweet from India's Department of Telecommunications (DoT) reads. The Department of Transportation also claims to have instructed Starlink to stop booking and providing satellite internet services in India. In other words, Starlink will have to put preorders on hold until the Indian government gives its clearance.

Accordingly, the Government of India has asked the company to comply with Indian regulatory framework for rendering the satellite based communication services and refrain from booking/rendering the satellite internet services in India with immediate effect.
— DoT India (@DoT_India) November 26, 2021

In April, Starlink came under fire from the Indian government. At the time, the Department of Communication (DoT) began investigating whether Starlink's beta launch violated any of the country's telecom rules (via Economic Times). The DoT's action occurred after the Broadband India Group (BIF), an independent policy forum representing Big Tech giants like Amazon, Google, Microsoft, and Facebook, pressured the DoT to cease selling Starlink devices without a license, according to the Economic Times.

According to Reuters, Starlink has received over 5,000 preorders in India since formally registering its firm on Nov. 1. It's unclear whether previous preorders will be canceled or if buyers would just have to wait a bit longer. By 2022, Starlink expects to install 200,000 devices in India, with 80% in rural regions.

According to PCMag earlier this month, Starlink has roughly 140,000 beta users in 20 different countries. Within the next year, Musk estimates that there will be over 500,000 Starlink subscribers.