Blitz Bureau
NEW DELHI: Elon Musk’s Starlink is starting security tests in India, one of the final hurdles for the company as it prepares to provide commercial satellite broadband services in the world’s most populous country, according to people familiar with the matter, reports Bloomberg.
The series of tests is part of India’s security clearance process for foreign and domestic telecom operators.
The SpaceX-owned network will still need the Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (Trai) to release the final pricing framework for satellite services, but if the regulator does that by year-end, Musk’s company could start beaming Internet signals to Indian homes by early 2026, the people said, speaking anonymously to discuss private matters.
India’s satellite communications sector is heating up as Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s Government opens the space economy to private players. The country is encouraging satellite firms to plug coverage gaps left by traditional fiber and mobile networks.
The SpaceX-owned company is building at least 10 satellite gateways across India, more than triple the number planned by its two major rivals in the market, Space Fiber from Reliance Jio and OneWeb from Eutelsat Communications, according to people aware of the plans.
SpaceX and India’s Department of Telecommunications did not respond to requests for comment.
Mumbai, where SpaceX has finished three ground stations, will serve as the company’s India hub, the people said, adding that officials are expected to begin on-site inspections soon.
Indian regulators earlier this year gave approval for Starlink to launch satellite broadband operations and allocated specific frequency bands, part of a years-long attempt by the US company to gain a foothold in a country with over 900 million internet users.
Starlink’s India entry would help SpaceX compensate for being shut out of China, where the Government has kept the market closed to foreign operators.
Retail consumers
The scale of the network Starlink is building signals Musk’s ambition to sell directly to retail consumers, unlike Jio and OneWeb, which are building their offerings around enterprise and Government clients.
Starlink sees its constellation of low-orbit satellites as a way to tap into India’s vast under-served population — tens of millions who lack reliable high-speed Internet access, especially in rural areas.
SpaceX thinks that Starlink’s brand appeal and Musk’s tech halo will help the service gain early traction in India’s urban pockets, where affluent, tech-savvy consumers are likely to pay a premium for faster, more reliable broadband, the people said.
A Starlink launch would mark the second Musk business foray into the country, after Tesla opened its first showrooms in India in July. The billionaire met with Modi earlier this year, back when he was still a close Donald Trump advisor.
In March, telecom minister Jyotiraditya Scindia emphasised that India was committed to offering consumers terrestrial, fiber as well as satellite communications, signalling an opening for global providers.