Starlink Nears GMPCS Licence as India Clears Key Satellite Service Hurdle

Elon Musk’s satellite internet venture, Starlink, is close to receiving the final approval needed to begin operations in India. The application for a Global Mobile Personal Communication by Satellite (GMPCS) license has been cleared by the Department of Telecommunications (DoT) after Starlink accepted new terms and paid the required fees.

This marks a major breakthrough for Starlink, which has been waiting nearly four years for this licence. Earlier, the company was issued a Letter of Intent (LoI) on May 7, paving the way for the formal approval. Starlink representatives are expected to arrive in New Delhi soon to complete the paperwork process.

The company has agreed to all necessary regulatory and security conditions, including setting up a command-and-control center within India and enabling interception capabilities as required by the Ministry of Home Affairs. These measures were part of a detailed review by the government to ensure national security compliance.

After the issuance of the GMPCS licence, Starlink will also require final approval from Indian National Space Promotion and Authorization Centre (IN-SPACe), which oversees satellite operations in India. That process is in its final stages and is likely to receive a nod from the inter-ministerial committee shortly.

Parallelly, the Indian government is developing new spectrum allocation rules for satellite communication companies. These will apply not just to Starlink but also to ventures backed by Reliance Jio and Airtel. TRAI submitted its recommendations on spectrum pricing and allocation to the DoT on May 9.

Source: The Economic Times