India Sets Security Compliance Requirements For Approval Of Starlink, Amazon Satellite Communication Applications

The Department of Telecommunications (DoT) has reportedly asked Elon Musk's Starlink and Jeff Bezos' Amazon to submit compliances regarding certain security parameters as as part of their applications for offering satellite communication services in India.

The department had recently sent letters to both the US-based firms and is awaiting their reply, Economic Times reported citing officials aware of the details.

"We can only proceed with their applications once they comply with the requirements. As of now, we have not received their responses," one of the official was quoted as saying by ET.

Another official stated that the government is willing to give them more time to respond and might even send a reminder.

However, processing of the applications will be on hold till they agree to all the security conditions.

“There are various security-related compliances as well as those related to data, coverage area etc which satcom providers have to give to the government in order to offer services in India. All the boxes need to be ticked,” said a third official.

Meanwhile, companies such as Bharti-backed Eutelsat Oneweb and a joint venture between Reliance Jio and Luxembourg's satellite provider SES have already received approvals to provide satellite communication services in India.

Starlink filed an application for a Global Mobile Personal Communication by Satellite Services (GMPCS) licence in October 2022, followed by Amazon, which applied last year.

The Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI) is currently engaged in a process to provide recommendations around pricing and other terms and conditions for allocating satellite spectrum.

While the Telecommunications Act 2023 mandates that satcom spectrum has to be given administratively, the telecom firms including Bharti Airtel, Reliance Jio and Vodafone Idea, want a level-playing field between satcom and terrestrial players.

The Telcos argue that satcom companies will in future be able to offer similar services like they do, hence should face the same liabilities and obligations like carriers.

Earlier in the year, the DoT sought additional information from Starlink concerning its data storage practices and shareholding structures, including any involvement with US security agencies.

The company was also asked to adhere to the geographical coverage map of India and provide all details, including latitude and longitude of its terminals that would be set up near border areas.

As per security requirements, the terminals have to stop communicating if there is a change in latitude and longitude position in order to prevent any misuse.

In response to government inquiries, Starlink declared that it has no investors from countries that share a land border with India, primarily China and Pakistan. The government had accepted this declaration.

However, Starlink did not disclose complete shareholding details of its parent company, SpaceX, as US privacy laws bar unlisted companies from making full disclosure of this information.

According to the officials cited in the ET report, while Starlink has accepted many of the terms required for a GMPCS license, some issues still need to be addressed.

Earlier, it was reported that Starlink had assured the government to offering satellite communication services at no charge in select rural and remote areas as part of initiatives like the Universal Service Obligation Fund (USOF).

“Global constellations offer services across the globe, and it becomes much more important for the government and the security agencies to guard the country from foreign interference,” said the first official.

Amazon has also been asked to meet these compliance demands.

There are around 30-40 compliances which satcom firms have to provide to the government.

Additionally, both companies have submitted applications to the Indian National Space Promotion and Authorization Centre (IN-SPACe), alongside their GMPCS applications, to secure the necessary clearances to initiate satellite communication services in India.

Starlink currently operates over 6,000 low Earth orbit (LEO) satellites.

Meanwhile, Amazon's Project Kuiper aims to establish an initial satellite constellation of 3,236 LEO satellites, with deployment starting in early 2025 and commercial services launching later that year.

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