Starlink – The government has decided to allocate satellite communication (satcom) spectrum administratively. Earlier, Reliance Chairman Mukesh Ambani and Airtel Chairman Sunil Bharti Mittal had asked the government to allocate spectrum through auction.
On this decision of the government, Starlink and SpaceX owner Elon Musk has promised to provide satellite broadband service in India. He gave this information in his X post. Earlier, Musk had objected to the advice of both the Indian businessmen.
Scindia said- the government will decide the cost of the spectrum
Communications Minister Jyotiraditya Scindia said on Tuesday that spectrum allocation for satellite services will be done administratively and not through auction and the cost will also be decided by the government.
Bharti Airtel-backed Eutelsat OneWeb is also planning to launch satcom services in India soon.
Starlink can provide satellite broadband service anywhere in the world
Starlink operates a worldwide network of satellites in low-Earth orbit (LEO) and provides space-based broadband connectivity in many countries. The company can provide satellite broadband services directly to smartphones at any location around the world.
Starlink benefits from the government’s decision
Starlink will find it easy to get the GMPCS (Global Mobile Personal Communications by Satellite Services) license from the Indian authorities. With this license, the company will be able to start its satellite broadband services in India.
GMPCS will be the third company to get the license
Starlink is a subsidiary of SpaceX. After getting the license, it will be able to provide satellite broadband, voice and messaging services to individuals and organizations in India. If approved, Starlink will be the third company to get the GMPCS license.
Airtel and Jio have this license
Earlier, Bharti Airtel-backed company OneWeb and Reliance Jio received licenses to provide satellite services. On the other hand, Jeff Bezos’ company Amazon has also applied for a license from the Department of Telecommunications, but the government has not yet discussed it.
Approval from IN-SPACe is also required for services
Satcom service providers also need approval from the autonomous space regulator Indian Space Regulatory Authority of India (IN-SPACe). After this, the companies will have to wait for spectrum allocation from the DoT.
The government is awaiting recommendations from the Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI) on how to allocate spectrum, or radio frequencies, for satellite services in the country. However, the recommendations are unlikely to come until TRAI gets a new chairman.
How will the internet reach you through satellites?
- Satellites beam internet coverage from any part of the earth, making it possible. The network of satellites provides users with high-speed, low-latency internet coverage. Latency refers to the time it takes for data to be transmitted from one point to another.
- The Starlink kit consists of a Starlink dish, a Wi-Fi router, power supply cables and a mounting tripod. The dish must be placed under the open sky for high-speed internet. Starlink’s app is available on iOS and Android, which does everything from setup to monitoring.
