Starlink, Jio, Airtel face further delay in satellite internet rollout amid TRAI–DoT standoff

Elon Musk’s Starlink, Jio and Airtel may have to wait longer than expected to launch satellite based internet services in India. According to a report by Economic Times, commercial rollout may take longer because of a standoff between the telecom regulator and the department of telecommunications (DoT) over spectrum pricing. The report quotes industry executives who said that the process could potentially take another 3-6 months amid upcoming personnel changes at the DoT and industry interference.

Till date, Starlink, Eutelsat OneWeb and Jio Satellite have completed most of the licensing and space-regulatory steps, including obtaining the Global Mobile Personal Communication by Satellite (GMPCS) licence, and approvals from space-regulatory body In-SPACe.