Elon Musk’s Starlink agrees to security norms, licence application back on track

Starlink’s India licence application is set to move forward after the Elon Musk-led satellite broadband company agreed to meet the government’s data localisation and security requirements, a major point of contention, sources have told Moneycontrol.

The development comes as US president-elect Donald Trump has talked about a big role for the tech billionaire in his administration. In the run-up to the polls, Musk not only endorsed the former president but also raised funds for his campaign. His expected White House influence could give the LEO satellite company more leverage for its planned satellite internet operations in India, sources said.

In recent meetings with the department of telecommunication (DoT), Starlink “in principle” committed to complying with these guidelines, a critical step towards securing a satellite broadband services licence or GMPCS licence, they said.

Starlink, however, is yet to submit its agreement on meeting the conditions.

A Moneycontrol email to Starlink India for its response remained unanswered.

The Global Mobile Personal Communication by Satellite Services (GMPCS) licence is the first step towards setting up a satellite internet by acquiring a trial spectrum at a nominal application fee.

According to security guidelines, a satellite communications company operating in India must store all data within the country. This requirement is a prerequisite for the grant of licence by DoT.

Starlink may need to show how intelligence agencies can intercept data if necessary, sources said.