Starlink to Store All User Data Locally in India, Says Government

According to Pemmasani Chandra Sekhar, Minister of State for Communications, Elon Musk's Starlink satellite internet service will store its network data, traffic, and other information locally in India.

"Security conditions, among other things, include the establishment of earth station gateway(s) in India for providing satellite-based communication services with no user traffic originating from or destined for India being routed through any gateway located outside India, no copying and decryption of the Indian data outside the country, and the Indian user traffic is not to be mirrored to any system/server located abroad," the minister wrote in a response to the Rajya Sabha.

Starlink Gets GMPCS Approval for Broadband Services

Following Bharti-backed Eutelsat OneWeb and Reliance Jio-SES JV, US-based Starlink is the third satcom operator to obtain all necessary approvals to provide commercial broadband from space services in India. In June, Starlink was granted permission to use Global Mobile Personal Communication via Satellite (GMPCS).

Starlink’s LEO Satellite Constellation and Capacity in India

Starlink's Gen 1 constellation has been approved by the Indian National Space Promotion and Authorisation Centre (IN-SPACe) to offer satellite communication services within the country. The first generation is Starlink's low Earth orbit (LEO) network, which consists of 4408 satellites and has a 600 Gbps throughput capacity in India.

Satcom Sector to Drive Employment Growth in India

According to Pemmasani Chandra Sekhar, the satcom industry is anticipated to provide jobs because it is a developing field. In his response, the minister stated that satellite-based communication services are a developing field that, like any new business venture, is anticipated to create jobs in the nation.

This is because the services include, among other things, the installation, operation, and maintenance of the telecom network, which includes user terminal equipment.

Starlink’s Role in Bridging India’s Digital Divide

Through a network of low Earth orbit (LEO) satellites, SpaceX's worldwide satellite internet project Starlink aims to provide consumers with direct access to high-speed broadband. By delivering fast and dependable broadband to remote areas like villages and hilly terrain, Starlink's venture has the potential to transform internet accessibility in India, where the digital divide is still a significant barrier.

Sekhar had stated that Starlink would provide rates of up to 200 Mbps throughout the nation, according to news agency PTI. "Starlink can only serve 20 lakh customers in India while providing speeds of up to 200 Mbps." Telecommunications services won't be impacted. It is anticipated that the regulations governing the distribution of spectrum for satellite communications (satcom) services will shortly be finalised.

TRAI’s Recommendation on Satcom Spectrum Allocation

According to the PTI report, the Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI) has advised administrative distribution of satcom spectrum instead of holding an auction. Furthermore, the regulator has suggested a five-year spectrum allocation period that might be extended by an extra two years depending on the state of the market.