Government bans Indian satellite internet terminals from working outside India

Government bans Indian satellite internet terminals from working outside India.
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Even as Elon Musk-owned satellite internet service Starlink awaits clearances to operate in India, the Department of Telecommunications (DoT) this week issued further amendments to the Unified License (UL) and the Global Mobile Personal Communications by Satellite (GMPCS) authorisation, the latter of which satellite internet services need to begin offering their services in India. The requirements come in the wake of the Pahalgam attack in Kashmir.

Many of the terms, issued through a circular by the DoT, echo existing requirements for all telecom licensees – such as enabling surveillance of users’ web traffic, a requirement already in place for telecom operators and home broadband providers. But they come as an additional compliance burden at a crucial time, especially as Starlink faces a prolonged delay in obtaining the GMPCS authorisation, as well as satellite spectrum, which it needs to commence services.

 “It is noteworthy that these security conditions have been introduced as an amendment to the Unified Licence itself, rather than as a separate guideline, ensuring that they are uniformly applicable to both existing GMPCS licensees and future applicants,” Mahwash Fatima, a public policy manager at tech policy firm The Quantum Hub told The Hindu. “This provides regulatory consistency at a time when two players have already received GMPCS licences and others are in the pipeline.”

While the amendments harmonise many requirements between telecom operators and satellite operators in the future, a key requirement may well be unprecedented anywhere in the world, and undermine Starlink’s allure to some of its customers in India. Namely, while satellite terminals sold abroad must be disabled on Indian soil, the amendments also require that Indian-purchased terminals be disabled in other countries. Another unique requirement is that terminals must eventually be manufactured in India, within a five year span. 

“The intent behind mandating geo-fencing is to prevent cross-border signal spillover, especially in sensitive regions, and to ensure that satellite connectivity can be monitored, intercepted, and governed in India,” Ms. Fatima said. This may “create operational challenges for roaming terminals, such as those used in aviation, maritime, etc.,” she added.

Starlink offers plans that work internationally, under a global roaming scheme, and this service will be unavailable to Indians traveling abroad, even when they’re in a country where Starlink is expressly permitted, forcing them to potentially buy a second terminal when abroad – which they are prohibited from possessing in India.

While Starlink inked deals with Jio Platforms Ltd, and Bharti Airtel Ltd. to distribute its services through the telcos, the firm faces enormous regulatory friction; the Telecom Regulatory Authority of India is yet to publish guidelines on how firms like Starlink can acquire spectrum, and the Department of Telecommunications has not indicated that it is in a hurry to begin that process either. The firm’s executives met Commerce and Industries Minister Piyush Goyal last month where they reportedly discussed their entry to the Indian market.