SATCOM: What's In Store For The Indian Market

Satellite communication using low Earth orbit (LEO) satellites promises to bring internet connectivity to underserved areas. However, ballpark prices make one wonder whether the average person can afford it.

- JANANI G. VIKRAM

Satellite communication (satcom) is not new to India. For decades, it has enabled connectivity in remote areas for defence and enterprise use—linking ATMs, bank branches, mines, aircraft, maritime operations, and military bases; aiding emergency response in rugged terrains like the Himalayas; collecting weather data from uninhabited zones; and supporting backup systems. Now, players like Jio, Airtel, BSNL, Starlink, and Amazon aim to bring low-latency, high-speed satellite internet to individual users, especially in regions beyond the reach of terrestrial networks.

One step away from the B2C segment

As of when we write this article, Airtel (in collaboration with Eutelsat OneWeb), Jio (with SES), BSNL (with Viasat), and SpaceX's Starlink have received two critical clearances—the Global Mobile Personal Communication by Satellite (GMPCS) license from the Department of Telecommunications (DoT) and approvals from the Indian National Space Promotion and Authorisation Centre (IN-SPACE) to operate their satellites over Indian skies, to set up their ground stations in India, and to launch commercial services. Amazon Kuiper and Apple partner Globalstar have also applied for these and are awaiting clearance.

To receive these clearances, satcom companies must address national security concerns and agree to comply with India's regulatory and security requirements. It requires them to set up control centres within India to ensure data localisation, service auditability, and monitoring. This is very important because satellite communications are being used not only by the government and military of different nations but also by the mafia, drug traffickers, terrorists, and other antisocial elements for clandestine communications. Hence, it is important to be able to track traffic, localise user data, and enforce shutdowns when necessary.