New Delhi: More than four years after India handed out the first licence for satellite internet services, their commercial launch is stuck over security concerns and lack of trust around foreign satellite operators, according to government officials and industry executives.
The government is concerned that satellite operators may bypass Indian gateways and route internet traffic through facilities in other countries. This despite satcom operators clarifying to the law enforcement agencies that they have the technology to ensure Indian gateways are not bypassed. The operators have also completed security trials, modified their systems to comply with Indian requirements and given undertakings on compliance, an industry executive said.
However, over the past few months, there has been no reference from the department of telecommunications (DoT) on the approval status, further clarification, or spectrum assignment, the executive added.
The operators that have secured GMPCS (global mobile personal communication by satellite) licences and other statutory approvals include Elon Musk-owned Starlink, Bharti-backed Eutelsat OneWeb, and Jio Satellite Communications Ltd, a wholly owned subsidiary of Jio Platforms. Jeff Bezos-owned Amazon Leo is also vying for a licence.
“These are foreign satellite operators. We will have to be conscious before giving them approvals so that things do not go beyond our control,” a government official close to the discussions said on condition of anonymity, adding that the go-ahead has to come from the Prime Minister’s Office (PMO) and the home affairs ministry.
OneWeb India was the first to secure the GMPCS licence in April 2022, followed by Jio Satellite in October 2022, and Starlink in June 2025. Eutelsat OneWeb completed their merger in 2023. In the merged entity, Bharti Enterprises owns the stake alongside the French and the UK government among other investors. Starlink is fully owned by Musk. Jio Satellite is wholly owned by Jio Platforms and controlled by Reliance Industries.
The official added that during a presentation to the PMO by telecom secretary Amit Agrawal a few months ago, law enforcement agencies expressed the view that permission should not be granted unless India has control over these satellite systems.
This assumes significance given Starlink’s experience in the Iran war, which has highlighted the challenges governments face in regulating or restricting connectivity provided by a foreign-controlled satellite network.
Mint's queries emailed to the department of telecommunications (DoT), ministry of home affairs, PMO, Eutelsat OneWeb, Starlink and Jio on 19 August morning remained unanswered till press time.
Long game
A delay in approvals for existing licence holders assumes significance as Jio builds a sovereign low-earth orbit (LEO) satellite constellation for India, challenging the likes of Starlink and Amazon Leo.
The telecom operator is currently planning a 1,600-satellite constellation and is seeking assistance from the Indian space nodal agency, IN-SPACe, and the telecommunications department to apply to the International Telecommunication Union (ITU) for international recognition and frequency coordination.
While the executives linked the delay in approvals to Starlink and others with Jio’s launch of the sovereign satellite constellation, another government official said satellite internet approval is not a pressing need at the moment, as the market is also niche.
For a large LEO constellation, the operator needs to deal with the ITU because satellite systems use internationally coordinated radio-frequency spectrum and orbital resources. The same also means that operators entering later will have to adjust to orbital slots, including frequency interference with incumbent operators.
The government is working on a proposal to ensure equal coordination rights between the incumbent and Indian satellite operators so that the latter are not legally obligated to protect every prior-filed foreign constellation in every relevant frequency band.
Jio first announced plans for a sovereign satellite constellation in June, which experts estimate could take about three years to become operational. Earlier, it had partnered with Luxembourg-based satellite operator SES to provide satellite broadband services through a joint venture.
“It seems the government wants to be entirely certain before granting approval, avoiding any situation where they might have to make changes later,” said Shivaji Chatterjee, chief executive and managing director of satellite broadband services provider Hughes Communications India.
“The issue seems to extend beyond immediate security demonstration and compliance. The NGSO (Non-Geostationary Satellite Orbit) companies have adapted their global frameworks to meet Indian regulations and have provided the necessary undertakings,” Chatterjee added.
End-user's loss
Delays in approvals could deprive Indian consumers of satellite internet and other emerging services, such as direct-to-device connectivity. Satellite internet services are already available in the US, the UK, France, Germany and Italy, among other markets.
In a recent conversation with Mint, the UK's Office of Communications (Ofcom) said countries such as India could adopt a balanced approach to satellite broadband approval to expand connectivity.
“I think different countries have different risk perceptions. If you were looking at a very secure government service, it might not be going over one of these more flexible channels, but if you have got a consumer service, you are not concerned much there besides ensuring security of their data,” said David Wills, group director for spectrum at Ofcom.
Wills explained that in Venezuela, they granted emergency approval for a specific geographic area during an earthquake. It doesn't mean they granted universal approval, as they still have concerns. In countries such as India, too, a balanced approach can be considered, he said.
The UK has more than 100,000 broadband connections via LEO satellites.
Wills, however, said there are some early signs of competitive concerns, particularly around the potential emergence of a mobile network by satellite operators in the US.