Starlink gets space regulator nod to offer satellite broadband

India’s space authority gave the final regulatory approval to Elon Musk’s Starlink this week, paving the way for the launch of satellite-based internet services in the country.

The Indian National Space Promotion and Authorisation Centre (IN-SPACe) granted authorization on Tuesday, 8 July, to Starlink Satellite Communications Pvt. Ltd (SSCPL) to operate its low-earth orbit (LEO) satellite network, Starlink Gen1, within Indian territory.

The approval will be valid until 7 July 2030, and allows Starlink to provide broadband services using non-Indian geostationary and non-geostationary satellite systems.

With the authorization, Starlink can use specific frequency bands for gateway and user beams, including uplink bands of 27.5–29.1 GHz and 29.5–30 GHz, and downlink bands of 17.8–18.6 GHz and 18.8–19.3 GHz for gateway operations.

For user beams, the approved bands are 14.0–14.5 GHz uplink and 10.7–12.7 GHz downlink.

This regulatory clearance follows Starlink’s earlier licence in June from the Department of Telecommunications (DoT) to offer Global Mobile Personal Communication by Satellite (GMPCS), Very Small Aperture Terminal (VSAT), and ISP Category-A services under India’s unified licence framework.

After OneWeb and Reliance Jio, Starlink is now the third operator to receive full regulatory approval to offer satellite internet services in India.

Starlink must acquire spectrum from the government, establish ground infrastructure, and complete security compliance through trials to launch operations in the country.

The DoT is expected to grant trial spectrum soon and is also working on finalizing spectrum allocation rules and pricing, based on recommendations from the Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (Trai).

Starlink Gen1 has 4,408 satellites positioned at altitudes of 540 to 570 km. The constellation has the capacity to deliver up to 600 Gbps of throughput over India.

As part of its rollout, Starlink plans to set up at least three gateway stations across the country. Meanwhile, the company has begun signing commercial agreements with VSAT providers in India to support enterprise and government broadband services.

Starlink is also expected to offer direct-to-consumer connections through its website. However, pricing details are still under discussion.

The company recently joined hands with telecom firms Airtel and Jio for the distribution and marketing of its services. Satellite

Starlink currently serves over 5 million subscribers globally and is seeking to expand its reach in India, one of the world’s most competitive telecom markets.