Elon Musk’s SpaceX Wants To Provide Satellite-Based Internet In India; But Will Govt Allow?

As per a recent development, Starlink, with which Elon Musk’s SpaceX has been working to bring internet from space, has plans for India.

The company has responded to the TRAI’s consultation paper.

What was the paper about? What plans does Starlink have? Let’s find out!

Starlink Has Plans For India: Response To TRAI’s Consultation Paper About Enhanced Broadband

Starlink has responded to the consultation paper by the Telecom Regulatory Authority of India. This paper was about a roadmap to “Promote Broadband Connectivity and Enhanced Broadband.”

The submission is made by Patricia Cooper, Vice President, Satellite Government Affairs at SpaceX. In the submission, Cooper states, “Starlink’s high-capacity, high-speed, low-latency satellite network will advance the goal of delivering broadband connectivity in the near term to all Indians, particularly those without access now or in the near-term to broadband services traditionally available only to customers in urban and suburban areas.”

It also states that SpaceX’s solution will help eliminate many of the high costs that come with traditional broadband.

The paper was put out by TRAI in August and SpaceX has also made a submission in this context.

Will ISRO’s New Spacecom Draft Allow This?

Apparently, SpaceX does not require any expensive last-mile fiber lines to ensure the delivery of reliable broadband services at high speed. In fact, the last mile for SpaceX’s Starlink satellite system is made up of the Ku-band connection from the consumer’s home directly to the customer’s home directly to a satellite in the orbit. This will entirely remove the largest cost to near-term universal broadband coverage in India.

SpaceX’s letter to TRAI also asks for “blanket” licensing tools and a “band-splitting” model so that private telecom operators in India will share the spectrum. However, due to the draft (Spacecom) floated by the ISRO ( Indian Space Research Organisation) last month, there is still doubt about SpaceX’s Starlink coming to India.

This draft does not allow foreign companies to introduce their satellite based broadband in India. This draft is expected to replace the existing Satellite Communication Policy with the Space-Based Communication Policy of India.