Elon Musk’s Starlink has been granted a crucial licence by India’s Department of Telecommunications. This approval marks a significant milestone for the satellite service provider, bringing it nearer to beginning its commercial operations in India, according to a Reuters report.The licence makes Starlink the third company to receive authorisation from the telecommunications department, following earlier approvals granted to Eutelsat’s OneWeb and Reliance Jio for providing their services within the country.Yesterday Communications Minister Jyotiraditya Scindia announced that Musk’s Starlink shall receive authorisation as the third satellite internet service provider in India.The Department of Telecom, government of India, has previously granted licences to Bharti’s OneWeb and Reliance Jio, as confirmed by the minister during a press interaction.Also Read | Tesla stock price crash wipes out $150 billion! Investors dump Elon Musk’s company as clash with Donald Trump escalates; fear US President won’t be a ‘nice guy’The minister clarified that spectrum allocation would follow after the licensing process.“And after this, the government will provide the spectrum. Subsequently, satellite telecom services will be fully operational in the country at a rapid pace. I am sure the customer base in India will grow substantially,” the minister added.“Starlink’s satellite connectivity is a significant addition to the telecommunications services,” he said, whilst discussing the advancement of the telecommunications landscape in the country.“Earlier, there was only a fixed line. Today, there is mobile connectivity and broadband connectivity. Optical fibre connectivity has also come in. Along with these, satellite connectivity is also very important,” he quipped.Scindia emphasised that expanding internet coverage, particularly in hard-to-reach regions where traditional infrastructure such as cables and towers would be challenging to establish, can be achieved effectively through satellite communication services.
