The country’s leading telecom company Airtel and Elon Musk’s firm SpaceX have signed an agreement to bring Starlink’s high-speed internet services to India. Starlink application for satellite communication license has entered the final stage. However, the central government has laid down some strict conditions before Starlink’s entry into India.The Centre has asked Elon Musk’s satellite venture Starlink to set up a control centre in India. Having the control centre in India will enable communication services to be suspended or shut down in sensitive and disturbed areas whenever necessary to maintain law and order. According to sources, the Centre has also laid down conditions to allow call interception by law enforcement agencies through official channels, if required.It is important for Starlink’s control center to be in India because any sudden change in the law and order situation in any part of the country may lead to the immediate suspension and shutdown of communication services. This also includes services provided via satellites. It cannot be expected that whenever such an emergency arises, Starlink’s headquarters in the US will have to be requested to do so.According to media reports, Musk’s company has assured the government that it is considering the matter. Also, there are provisions in the Telecom Act that allow the central or state government to take control of any telecom service or network in the interest of public emergency or public safety, including disaster management.Apart from this, there are provisions for internet shutdown. These rules also apply to internet services provided by companies like Jio, Airtel, and Vodafone Idea. Starlink representatives are in touch with government officials to address India’s security concerns.After the contract with Reliance G and Bharti Airtel, Starlink’s path in India may become easier. Most of the companies have met the standards of certified guidelines and can soon get the license from the government. However, the company will still have to wait for getting the spectrum.The company is also ready to set up ground stations in India. The government may soon issue a letter of intent to the company. The license will be given after completing all the license documents. The company will have to wait to get spectrum. At present, TRAI has not given its recommendations for spectrum.Talking on this topic, telecom analyst Rajeev Malhotra said, “The price of Starlink plans is different in every country. In America, its cheapest plan costs around Rs 7,000 per month. Talking about Bhutan, the price of this residential light plan is around Rs 3,000 per month, which offers speeds ranging from 23 Mbps to 100 Mbps. The standard residential plan costs around Rs 4,200, which gives a speed of 25-100 Mbps. Starlink’s service is the cheapest in Zambia. Here the user has to pay around 2,000 Indian rupees for a monthly subscription. Starlink can be very useful considering the land area of India. As Starlink provides internet connectivity through satellite, it can be used to connect remote areas.”
Reporting to True to Life News