Elon Musk’s Starlink has received key approval from the Indian government, inching closer to commercial launch, news agency PTI reported quoting sources. This approval clears a major hurdle that had kept the company waiting for nearly two years.

Starlink is now the third company to get this kind of licence from the Department of Telecommunications (DoT). The other two are Eutelsat’s OneWeb and Reliance Jio’s satellite arm. This means Starlink can now prepare to offer high-speed internet in India using its satellite network, reported Reuters.

Starlink had applied for the licence back in 2022, but the process was delayed due to various concerns, including national security. Meanwhile, Amazon’s satellite project, Kuiper, is still waiting for its own approval from the Indian government.

Recently, Starlink and Reliance Jio had a difference of opinion over how India should allocate spectrum, the radio waves needed for satellite communication. Jio wanted it to be auctioned, like with mobile networks, while Starlink argued it should be directly assigned without bidding. In the end, the Indian government agreed with Starlink’s view.

While there’s no official statement yet from Starlink or the DoT, this move could bring affordable internet access to remote and rural parts of India where traditional networks struggle to reach. It’s a big step for Starlink and could change the internet landscape in the country.

Source: India Today