Starlink Secures LoI for GMPCS Licence, Nears India Entry: Report

Starlink, the satellite internet company, has received a Letter of Intent (LoI) from the Department of Telecommunications (DoT) for a Global Mobile Personal Communication by Satellite (GMPCS) licence, marking a major step toward its commercial rollout in India, ETTelecom reported, citing officials.

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Also Read: India Tightens Security Norms for Satellite Communication Services

Starlink Receives GMPCS Licence LoI from DoT

The LoI was issued after Starlink agreed to comply with a comprehensive set of revised security conditions released by the government earlier this week. These conditions include requirements related to metadata collection, blocking of websites, use of the indigenous NavIC-based positioning system, establishment of local data centres, and phased manufacturing localisation.

Final Clearance Pending from IN-SPACe

Starlink is now awaiting final clearance from the Indian National Space Promotion and Authorisation Centre (IN-SPACe), India’s space regulatory body. The company has already submitted the necessary documentation, and once approved, it is expected to receive test spectrum for service demonstrations.

Once both regulatory approvals are granted, the company is likely to be allocated test spectrum for demonstrating its services, according to officials familiar with the matter, as mentioned in the report.

Permitted to Offer Fixed and Mobility Services

Notably, Starlink is set to become the first satellite communications operator in India permitted to offer both fixed and mobile broadband services. The updated rules now allow mobility for user terminals, with conditions that include mandatory location updates every 2.6 km or one minute, whichever is earlier. Existing licensees like Eutelsat OneWeb and Jio-SES currently hold approvals for fixed services only and will need to seek separate permissions for mobility.

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

Concerns Over Border Monitoring

During regulatory consultations, Starlink had raised concerns about two proposed conditions—monitoring terminals 10 km beyond India’s international borders and a mandate for majority Indian ownership. The DoT eventually dropped both clauses, citing legal and policy limitations. The monitoring requirement was deemed inconsistent with the Telegraph Act, while the ownership clause was deferred in favour of existing FDI norms, which allow up to 100 percent foreign investment in telecom under certain conditions.