MC EXCLUSIVE Starlink moves closer to India launch as satcom license likely this month; Kuiper faces longer wait

This key step will accelerate the launch of Starlink’s high-speed satellite broadband services in India

Elon Musk’s Starlink is set to receive its Global Mobile Personal Communication by Satellite (GMPCS) license from the Department of Telecommunications (DoT) within weeks, having fulfilled all security compliance requirements outlined in its letter of intent (LoI), sources said.

In contrast, its American rival Amazon Kuiper will have to wait longer, as its LoI application is still being processed.

“Starlink was given time till June 7 to meet compliance after the LoI was issued last month on May 7. They had already submitted the necessary security-related requirements to meet the new license conditions, and had given undertakings on other guidelines…they will get the license within this month,” a senior official told Moneycontrol.

Once it secures the GMPCS license, SpaceX will need approval from the Indian space regulator, In-SPACe, for authorisation of Starlink’s services. The satcom player’s application at In-SPACe is currently in its final leg, and approval from the inter-ministerial standing committee (IMC) will follow once it secures the GMPCS license.

This key step will accelerate the launch of Starlink’s high-speed satellite broadband services in India. Following the In-SPACe clearance, the company will receive a provisional spectrum allocation.

The government carried out a thorough vetting of SpaceX’s Starlink, mandating strict security measures such as implementing lawful interception capabilities and establishing a local command and control centre.

“They will still need to complete several procedural steps, including setting up gateways, a Network Operations Centre, and ensuring lawful interception capabilities. It will take at least nine months before they can begin commercial satellite communication services in India,” the person said.

Starlink, which plans to have three gateways in India, had been waiting for a license for the past three to four years.

Amazon Kuiper, meanwhile, will have to wait to secure the LoI from the DoT, even though it has fulfilled all the security and operational conditions required to get the license.

“Kuiper is still far away from getting the LoI. It wrote a letter to DoT in February seeking an update on its application, having fulfilled all conditions. It sought an update from the DoT if more information is needed,” a second source said.

The person added that Kuiper’s application will be discussed during the next inter-ministerial standing committee meeting. “There has been no meeting since December 2024, hence no progress on Kuiper’s application. Without the inter-ministerial standing committee meeting, a LoI can’t be issued.”

Amazon has launched 27 satellites as part of its Project Kuiper to provide broadband services globally. These satellites are the first of 3,236 that Amazon plans to place in low-Earth orbit for Project Kuiper, a $10 billion initiative announced in 2019 to beam internet worldwide.

The e-commerce major still doesn’t have coverage over India. “They want to secure all approvals before offering commercial services. By the time Starlink is able to offer commercial services in India in around 8-9 months, Kuiper will also be ready as its satellite launch is underway,” the second person added.

Kuiper plans to build significant satcom capacity in India, with plans for 10 gateways and two points of presence in Mumbai and Chennai, compared to Starlink’s three gateways. Eutelsat-OneWeb and Jio-SES each have two gateways.

Amazon began assembling its team and hiring for key positions in its Project Kuiper satellite communications (satcom) project last year. Rahul Savoor, the company's South Asia strategy lead, is heading Amazon Kuiper Services India Private Limited, Moneycontrol reported on October 8.

Queries sent to SpaceX and Amazon didn’t elicit any response.

Telcos criticise Satcom Pricing Recommendations

The Department of Telecommunications (DoT) is currently reviewing pricing recommendations from the Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI), which have drawn intense criticism from Indian telecom operators.

In a letter dated May 29 to DoT secretary Neeraj Mittal, industry body COAI—representing Reliance Jio, Bharti Airtel, and Vodafone Idea—raised objections to TRAI’s proposal to levy a 4 percent adjusted gross revenue (AGR) charge on satellite spectrum.

COAI urged the government to revisit the pricing model, arguing that traditional telecom players pay significantly higher upfront fees through spectrum auctions. The body said this results in their total payments to the government being roughly 21 percent higher than what satellite providers would pay under TRAI’s suggested framework.

Describing the proposal as “non-transparent” and “based on non-justifiable assumptions rather than factual data,” COAI warned that the recommendations are inequitable and could violate the Telecommunications Act, 2023 provisions. Their adoption, the letter stated, would distort market competition and undermine the viability of terrestrial telecom networks.