According to newspaper The Economic Times, the Indian government is envisaging relaxations in some security regulations applicable to satellite communication (satcom) licences so that they match international standards. This would offer the global players such as Elon Musk’s Starlink and Jeff Bezos’s Amazon Kuiper to expand satellite based telecom services in India.
As of now, under the Global Mobile Personal Communication by Satellite (GMPCS) system, applicants in India would have to stick with 30-40 conditions. However, it’s not clear which rules the government plans to loosen. Officials from the department of telecommunications and law enforcement agencies held discussions, saying that national security would still be given top priority.
Licences Pending and Regulatory Debate
Starlink and Amazon Kuiper have applied for GMPCS licences but aren’t quite meeting all necessary security requirements. The universal nature of satellite services has prompted Starlink to ask the Indian government to harmonise its satcom regulations with global standards. Starlink’s bid to reach customers in India is in the works, Telecom Minister Jyotiraditya Scindia confirmed, but first the company must meet existing laws and secure necessary approvals.
Indian telecom operators such as Reliance Jio, Bharti Airtel and the Vodafone Idea are in favor of a civil co-existence achieved through auctions like they do with the telecom spectrum holders. But the government has stated that satellite spectrum will be issued administratively with a fee.
Future prospects and Market Impact
Under government initiatives, Starlink with over 6,000 low earth orbit satellites has promised to offer free connectivity to rural areas. Of these satellites, 3,236 will be launched into orbit from 2025 onwards, and commercial services will be launched later that year by Amazon’s Project Kuiper.
In the coming days, the government will engage with companies like Bharti backed Eutelsat OneWeb and Reliance Jio’s joint venture with SES, which have applied for, or are already holding, GMPCS licences.
India’s Space Economy is anticipated to witness huge growth; IN-SPACe predicts it to pick up to $44 billion by 2033 and will constitute 8% of the global market from the current 2%. These regulatory changes could define the shape of satellite communication in India in the future.
