Elon Musk’s Starlink is seeking security clearance for a licence to offer satellite broadband services in India and will get a permit if it satisfies all conditions, the telecoms minister said.
Starlink has looking to enter India for years and its plans got a major boost last month when New Delhi said it wouldn’t auction spectrum for satellite broadband but rather award it administratively, just as Elon Musk want.
While Indian telecom billionaire Mukesh Ambani had want an auction.
Indian telecom minister Jyotiraditya Scindia said that Starlink was in the process of obtaining security clearance, which requires it to satisfy New Delhi that the company processes and stores data locally, and that its satellite signals are secure.
Jyotiraditya Scindia said :
“When you check all the boxes, you get the licence. If they (Starlink) do that, we will be very happy,”.
Security clearance would take Starlink one step closer to Elon Musk’s plans to offer broadband to Indians, a market Reliance Jio currently dominates with 14 million wire subscribers.
Mukesh Ambani also has more than 479 million Indian telecom users, but is concern that after spending $19 billion (approx. Rs. 1,60,324 crore) in airwave auctions, he now risks losing broadband customers and potentially data and voice clients to Elon Musk as technology advances, as per previous report.
Reliance already has security clearance to launch satellite broadband services, as per a source with direct knowledge.
Starlink has told the Indian government it is willing to comply with all of New Delhi’s security requirements, as per other source familiar of the matter.
After security clearance, companies still need to obtain spectrum to start offering satellite broadband services.
Mukesh Ambani once gave data for free on his mobile plans, and Elon Musk has adopt similarly aggressive tactics.
In Kenya, Elon Musk price for Starlink at $10 (applox. Rs. 843) per month and $120 (approx. Rs. 10,125) in the United States.
