Musk's Starlink set to beam Internet to India

THE COMPANY RECEIVES KEY APPROVAL FROM THE GOVT

- VINAY KUMAR

NEW DELHI: In a move that has the potential of changing the Internet landscape in the country, Elon Musk's Starlink has received key approval from the Indian government, bringing it closer to commercial launch.

Starlink has been waiting for nearly two years for the government approval and the clearance paves the way for the company to begin preparations for offering high-speed internet service in India. The entry of Starlink will usher in its satellite network internet service in India which will mean faster speed and greater reach for the subscribers even in far flung areas. Internet services have mainly relied upon fibre for their networks till now.

Starlink is now the third company to get this kind of licence from the Department of Telecommunications (DoT) to provide satellite internet services in the country. The other two are Eutelsat's OneWeb and Reliance Jio's satellite arm. Starlink is the third company after Eutelsat OneWeb and Jio Satellite Communications, PTI said in a report on Friday.

A fourth applicant, Amazon's Kuiper is still waiting for approvals. PTI said that DoT sources confirmed on Friday that Starlink will be granted trial spectrum in 15-20 days of applying for it. Starlink will now have to comply with the security norms such as providing access for lawful interception, before starting services.