New Delhi: Amid Elon Musk’s spectacular fallout with Donald Trump, the tech billionaire’s international telecommunications provider has received key approval from the Indian government to set up satellite internet services in this country, PTI reported quoting sources.
It’s a significant step towards the commercial launch of Starlink in India as the approval clears a major hurdle that had kept the US company waiting for over two years.
Starlink is the third company to be granted licence by the Department of Telecommunications (DoT), the other two being Eutelsat’s OneWeb and Reliance Jio’s satellite arm. A fourth applicant, Amazon’s Kuiper, is still awaiting approval.
The next step for Starlink is to apply for a trial spectrum, which is expected to be granted within 15-20 days, according to DoT sources.
Starlink had applied for the licence in 2022, but the process was delayed due to concerns such as national security.
The company can now prepare to offer high-speed internet in India using its satellite network.
As per a media report, Starlink could introduce plans starting as low as $10 (approximately Rs 850) per month. Its services will be one of the most affordable globally.