Globalstar Seeks Regulatory Nod to Launch Satellite Services in India: Report

Apple’s satellite communications partner Globalstar has applied for regulatory approvals to launch its services in India, entering the satcom market that includes Elon Musk’s Starlink, Bharti-backed Eutelsat OneWeb, Amazon’s Project Kuiper, and Reliance Jio’s Orbit Connect.

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Also Read: Satcom: Amazon’s Project Kuiper First Batch Satellite Launch; Eutelsat OneWeb LEO Services, and More

Globalstar Seeks Indian Regulatory Approval

The US-based low-earth orbit (LEO) satellite operator has applied to the Indian National Space Promotion and Authorisation Centre (IN-SPACe) seeking authorisation to begin operations, ETTelecom reported, citing people familiar with the matter. The company is also expected to apply for a Global Mobile Personal Communications by Satellite (GMPCS) licence from the Department of Telecommunications (DoT) shortly.

Test Spectrum Granted

Sources reportedly added that Globalstar has already obtained test spectrum from the DoT to demonstrate satellite-based disaster management use cases. However, it has not yet sought a commercial licence such as GMPCS or VSAT. The DoT allocates test spectrum for limited periods on a non-commercial, non-interference, and non-protection basis.

Also Read: Airtel Partners with SpaceX to Bring Starlink Internet to its Customers in India

Apple’s Emergency SOS Partner

Currently, Globalstar provides direct-to-cell satellite services for Apple iPhone users and supports various industrial applications. Apple partnered with the firm in 2022 to offer emergency SOS via satellite, later expanding support to satellite messaging across several countries including the US, Canada, UK, Australia, and select European markets. These services are available on iPhone 14 and later models but are not yet offered in India.