Starlink agrees to govt’s security terms for satellite broadband license

Elon Musk’s Starlink has agreed to meet specific security and data storage requirements put forward by the government as eligibility criteria for getting the satellite broadband services licence, official sources said.

Starlink has agreed in-principle to meet the conditions at a recent meeting but now needs to officially submit it to the department of telecommunications (DoT), sources added.

The security guidelines mandate the company to store all data in the country. Starlink will also have to demonstrate that, if required, how data can be intercepted by intelligence agencies. This is a precondition for all the licences granted by the DoT.

Starlink’s in-principle agreement to meet the security conditions comes at a time when the Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (Trai) is in the process of a consultative process to finalise the methodology for allocating and pricing spectrum for satellite services. The recommendations are expected to be finalised by December end.

An email query seeking Starlink’s response did not elicit any response at the time of going to press.

Bharti-owned Eutelsat OneWeb and Jio-SES have already been given Satcom licences and are waiting for spectrum allotment to start their services.

In October 2022, Starlink had applied for the global mobile personal communication by satellite (GMPCS) licence to DoT. The company has also submitted its application for authorisation with space regulator Indian National Space Promotion and Authorisation Centre (IN-SPACe).

Telecom service providers have been calling for a level-playing field between satcom and telecom operators owing to potential competition. The concern of the telcos is that companies like Starlink might poach their subscribers by providing services in urban areas.

The Cellular Operators Association of India (COAI) has called for a differentiated spectrum pricing strategy. This means different assignment approaches for satellite services competing directly with terrestrial networks and for satellite services not directly competing for maintaining a level-playing field.

Jio on the other hand has been continuously pushing for auctioning of satellite spectrum. The operator has also written to Trai to include the option of auction of satellite spectrum in its consultation paper.

In a fresh legal opinion on the subject, Jio has cited comments of former Supreme Court judge Justice L Nageshwara Rao, who has opined that the consultation paper issued by Trai seems to have completely sidestepped the issue of level-playing field with terrestrial access services.

“This has resulted in deprivation of opportunities for the stakeholders to provide comments and for the Trai to engage in robust consultations before providing recommendations, as specifically requested by the DoT,” Jio has said citing Rao’s legal opinion.

With regard to spectrum pricing, global satcom players – Starlink and Amazon’s Kuiper – have pushed for no minimum charge for the satellite spectrum and advocated that the levies should be less than 1% of their adjusted gross revenue (AGR).

The companies have echoed the government’s position of administrative allocation of airwaves, but added that even this pricing should be affordable so that affordable services can be provided through satellite broadband.

In its comments to Trai, Starlink has said that Trai must ensure that satellite broadband services are affordable, reliable and universally available, and it should recommend conditions for satellite players that are favourable, predictable and fair. Financial Express