Elon Musk’s satellite communications firm Starlink is gearing up for a full-scale rollout in India, with plans to set up nine gateway earth stations across major cities, Mumbai, Noida, Chandigarh, Hyderabad, Kolkata, and Lucknow, as part of its satellite communication (satcom) infrastructure build-out, according to a report by The Economic Times.
Provisional spectrum assigned for demos
Officials familiar with the matter told ET that Starlink has applied for 600 gigabit per second capacity over India through its Gen 1 constellation. The Department of Telecommunications (DoT) has provisionally assigned spectrum for the company to demonstrate security-related compliances before it can begin commercial operations.
The approval currently allows Starlink to import 100 user terminals and conduct only fixed satellite service demonstrations. “Tough conditions have been imposed to prevent misuse,” an official was quoted as saying, given that satellite networks are often treated as critical security infrastructure.
Strict security conditions in place
According to the ET report, Starlink sought to bring in foreign technical experts for station operations, but the government has barred foreign nationals from handling the gateways until security clearance from the Ministry of Home Affairs is granted.
“For now, only Indian nationals will be allowed to operate these stations,” the official told ET. The move reflects India’s heightened scrutiny of satcom systems amid concerns about national security and potential misuse in sensitive border regions.
Security concerns in the past
Earlier this year, India’s security agencies raised red flags over the alleged misuse of Starlink terminals in restricted regions. The Ministry of Home Affairs had, in March, asked the DoT to investigate after illegal Starlink devices were seized in Manipur and the Andaman and Nicobar Islands.
Authorities have since emphasised the need for data localisation and regular reporting to ensure that satellite equipment doesn’t fall into unauthorised hands.
Data localisation and compliance rules
Under the provisional spectrum terms, no commercial services can be offered during demonstrations. All data generated must be stored within India, and Starlink is required to share fortnightly reports with DoT and security agencies, including geo-coordinates, terminal details, and user locations.
“Any regular spectrum assignment will depend on the government’s final policies and pricing framework after the security compliance phase,” an official told ET.
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