SpaceX owned Starlink has applied for a license in India to begin pilot services. To recall, the satellite communications company had been asked by the Department of Telecommunications (DoT) to stop selling pre-bookings in India as it didn’t have any regulatory approvals to do so. Thus, Starlink has applied for a license now to fall in line with the local laws.
According to a TNN report, Starlink has applied for an experimental license. This will allow the company to conduct a pilot test of its services with a limited set of users. With an experimental license, Starlink still doesn’t have the authority to start selling commercial services or on-board paid customers.
Starlink India Filing Formal Applications for Necessary Licenses
Starlink is also filing and submitting formal applications for the necessary licenses to provide full-fledged services. It will take a few months for the process to be completed, that too if all the conditions are met.
To launch commercial service in India, Starlink would require a Global Mobile Personal Communication by Satellite (GMPCS) license. On top of that, the company will have to get clearances from the Department of Space (DoS) and the telecom ministry. The license the company has currently filed for is meant to get allowance for testing services with a limited set of users to collect data and proof.
Starlink is already hiring in India. The company is hiring for two posts in India for which the complete details are present in the website of SpaceX. Sanjay Bhargava, Starlink India Head, said in a LinkedIn post that the company has seen a strong response and a lot of people have already applied for the job. If all things fall in line for Starlink, it is expected that the company will start offering services from 2022 in India. The company’s competitors including OneWeb and more are also looking to start providing services in India in 2022.
