Starlink, OneWeb among satcom firms facing tighter security checks under new draft rules

New Delhi: Merely getting a licence from the Department of Telecom(DoT) to provide satellite communication services will no longer be enough, companies will need security clearance even after assignment of spectrum to roll out their services, according to draft rules issued by the government.

Satellite companies will get radiowaves without auction through an administrative process against a fixed annual fee in range of Rs 30,000 to Rs 50 lakh based on the service type per terminal basis and a non-refundable application fees of Rs 1000.