The Department of Telecommunications (DoT) in India has instructed Elon Musk’s Starlink and Jeff Bezos’ Amazon to provide details on security compliance as they seek to offer satellite communication services in the Indian market. The directive, reported by the Economic Times, requires both companies to submit security-related compliances along with their applications for satellite communications services in the country.
The specific requirements for compliance have not been disclosed. The move comes amidst growing concerns about the security of satellite internet services. Starlink, a subsidiary of Musk’s SpaceX, and Amazon’s Project Kuiper are significant players in this sector.
According to officials familiar with the matter, letters were recently sent to both US-based firms, and the DoT is currently awaiting their responses. The government will wait for their replies but will not process the applications until all security conditions are met.
So far, Eutelsat OneWeb, backed by Bharti Airtel, and a joint venture between Reliance Jio and Luxembourg-based satellite provider SES have received approval to provide satellite communication services in India.
This directive from the DoT follows Starlink and Amazon’s recent efforts to establish their satellite communication services in India. Both companies had reportedly approached the Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI) seeking a reduction in spectrum charges to 1% of annual revenues. They believe that reduced spectrum charges would enable cost-effective satellite services for Indian consumers and businesses, particularly those in underserved areas. Starlink and Amazon welcomed the Indian government’s decision not to auction the spectrum for satellite services.