The Department of Telecommunications pointed out on Friday that Starlink, the satellite internet division of billionaire Elon Musk's rocket company SpaceX, should first get license before it can offer services in India.
The ministry of communications, Ministry of Communications, Government of India has pointed out that ''Starlink Internet Services is not licensed to provide satellite-based internet services in India, which is advertised to the public, the government said in an official statement.
The Ministry of Communications also highlighted that Starlink has started pre-selling of the satellite based Starlink Internet Services in India. The same is also seen from the Starlink website, www.starlink.com. It added that satellite based internet services can be booked by users in Indian territory.
The Centre said for rendering satellite services in India, requisite licenses from the Department of Telecommunications, Government of India are required. The license authorization for rendering satellite based internet services booked on their website has not been obtained by the company, according to the public at large. The Government has asked the company to comply with the Indian regulatory framework for rendering the satellite based communication services and refrain from booking rendering satellite internet services in India. SpaceX's Starlink unit in India has registered its business earlier this month, according to company documents filed with the government, as it prepares to launch internet services in the country.
Elon Musk's Starlink is one of a growing number of companies that launch small satellites as part of a low-Earth orbiting network.
In India, Starlink plans to carry on the business of telecommunication services, including satellite broadband internet services, content storage and streaming, multi-media communication, among others, according to the company filing.
It will also be dealing with devices such as satellite phones, network equipment, wired and wireless communication devices, as well as data transmission and reception equipment.
Starlink will give 100 devices free of charge to schools in Delhi and nearby rural districts once it is allowed to provide services. By December 2022, the company hopes to have 200,000 Starlink devices in India, 80 per cent of which will be in rural districts, according to the presentation. Starlink has already received over 5,000 pre-orders for its devices in India.