Page 71 - SAMENA Trends - August-September 2025

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Starlink Finally Secures Indian Operating License

The Minister of Communications
Jyotiraditya Scindia has revealed that
SpaceX’s low Earth orbit (LEO) satellite
constellation, Starlink, has been granted
an operating license, allowing it to legally
provide connectivity services across the
country. “Starlink has been granted a
Unified License to launch satellite internet
services in India,” said Scindia, speaking on
the 30th anniversary of India’s first mobile
phone call. The news will come as a huge
relief to SpaceX, which has been pursuing
regulatory approval for years. The company
has long viewed India as a crucial market
with high growth potential, highlighting
the millions of people living in remote
locations underserved by traditional
connectivity infrastructure. But while the agreed by the regulator. “Frameworks Satellite license applications are subject
license has been a long time coming, for spectrum allocation and gateway to intense scrutiny, including complying
Starlink’s regulatory pains are not over yet. establishment are ready, ensuring smooth with strict security requirements, including
The regulator has yet to formally allocate rollout,” he said. Starlink’s path into India mandatory interception and monitoring
satellite spectrum, leaving Starlink – as well has been a troubled one. The company protocols, use of local data centers, and
as fellow licensees Eutelsat OneWeb and was initially optimistic that its application location tracking of user terminals. These
Jio Space Technology – in a holding pattern, would be granted with little delay, even factors, combined with objections from
unable to launch commercial services. An going so far as to begin selling pre-orders rival satellite operators and clashes with
official timeline for spectrum allocation of Starlink terminals to Indian customers regulators, saw the application process
has not been revealed, but Scindia says in 2021. However, the regulatory process progress at a glacial pace.
that a framework for allocation has been proved more arduous than anticipated.

Low Orbit Satellite Internet Service Set to Launch in S. Korea Next Month

A low orbit satellite internet service is ex- communication equipment conformity as- from KT SAT said. OneWeb plans to provide
pected to be launched in South Korea next sessment for satellite internet service and the low Earth orbit (LEO) internet service in
month, with global providers Eutelsat One- has started establishing network connec- partnership with Hanwha Systems Co. and
Web and SpaceX preparing to introduce the tions with local access points, according to KT SAT. SpaceX, which operates the Star-
next-generation internet access from KT SAT Co., the satellite service arm of lo- link service, has also received approval
space, industry sources said. Eutelsat One- cal telecom giant KT Corp. "OneWeb is in- from the National Radio Research Agency
Web, a subsidiary of the French business stalling equipment and is expected to for a key LEO service device, sources said.
group Eutelsat, has already completed the launch the service in September," an official The agency oversees the mandatory con-
formity assessment system for broadcast-
ing and communication equipment. The
U.S. company is awaiting additional ap-
provals for other equipment. "Once the pro-
cess is completed, Starlink Korea is expect-
ed to launch the service after a short
preparation period," said an official from SK
Telink Corp., an authorized reseller of Star-
link Korea. LEO satellites, orbiting between
300 and 1,500 kilometers above Earth, can
provide high-speed, low-latency communi-
cation due to their proximity to the planet,
compared with geostationary satellites.

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