Starlink, Elon Musk’s satellite internet service, will officially launch in India by end-2025, confirmed the Minister of State for Communications, marking a major boost for digital connectivity nationwide.
Starlink will launch its satellite broadband services in India by late 2025, Minister of State for Communications Dr. Chandra Sekhar Pemmasani confirmed to the Hindustan Times. The organization secured a Unified License from the Department of Telecommunications (DoT) in July. However, the approval was granted only after it agreed to India's strict security rules and regulations, the minister told PTI.
The agreement clearly states that Starlink cannot copy, decrypt, or route Indian user traffic to anywhere else in the world. All satellite communications should enter through the earth station gateways within the country. These gateways will function as checkpoints for data traffic. These rules apply to each and every satellite internet provider, and Starlink has agreed to comply.
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Starlink is expected to roll out its services in phases. It will start with the underserved or remote regions, and the commercial launch is likely by December 2025, depending on the infrastructure readiness and spectrum allocation.
Dr. Pemmasani highlighted the need to obtain telecom infrastructure in today's rapidly growing world while speaking at the 42nd Foundational Day of the Centre for Development of Telematics (C-DOT) in New Delhi.
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“Given the geopolitical risks and the faster change of technology, institutions like C-DOT have never been of greater importance. Therefore, when it comes to AI, 6G, quantum secure communications, they are doing wonderful things,” he said.
