India Rejects Musk’s Starlink Allegation, Says All Satcom Firms Face Same Rules
Musk on Wednesday alleged that “certain oligarchs” had obstructed Starlink.
By Sakshi
New Delhi, October 8: The Ministry of Communications on Thursday rejected American business tycoon Elon Musk’s allegations that Starlink is being blocked in the country, saying India’s policy is “fair and non-discriminatory” for all telecommunication services, including satellite communication services such as Starlink.
Bharti Airtel Chairman Sunil Bharti Mittal, meanwhile, said his satellite venture, Eutelsat OneWeb, is also awaiting government approval to start operations.
Musk Accuses ‘Certain Oligarchs’ Of Blocking Starlink
Musk on Wednesday alleged that “certain oligarchs” had obstructed Starlink, his satellite internet service, in India to maintain their monopoly. “You can guess who they are,” Musk said without naming anyone.
Three major private companies currently compete in India’s telecom market — Vodafone Idea, Bharti Airtel and Reliance Jio.
Indian Telecom Companies Respond To Musk’s Allegation
Musk-led Starlink, Jio Satcom and Eutelsat OneWeb are the three satellite communication companies in the fray to start satellite services in the country. All three have already received licences from the government to begin operations.
However, before launching their services, all three companies require security and spectrum clearances.
Mittal, speaking at the India Mobile Congress, said, “We are waiting for our own approvals,” when asked about Musk’s allegations.
Bharti Group-backed Eutelsat OneWeb and Jio Satcom were the first two satellite communication companies to receive licences to provide services, but they are yet to obtain spectrum and security clearances to roll out their services.
Akash Ambani, managing director of Jio Platforms, declined to comment on the matter.
Government Says Security Compliance Mandatory
The government rejected Musk’s allegation that Starlink’s satellite communication services were being blocked and made it clear that demonstrating compliance with security norms is mandatory for every satellite communication licence holder in the country.
“The government has put in place a fair and non-discriminatory authorisation framework for all telecommunication services, including satellite communication services,” the Telecom Ministry said on Thursday.
According to the ministry, the terms and conditions of the licence require every licensee to demonstrate compliance with prescribed safety and security standards.
“This is aimed at ensuring that services provided meet various security requirements to ensure safety of all users and their data. Security assessment as part of this process is currently under way in respect of all three licensees,” the ministry said.
The ministry said that once the security assessment is completed for a licensed organisation, it can proceed to the next stage of seeking spectrum assignment.
“At present, all three entities are broadly at the same regulatory stage. As such, the suggestion that the framework or its application is unfair or discriminatory is baseless and misconceived,” the statement said.
(Inputs from PTI)
