Elon Musk’s space-based Internet provider Starlink is preparing for deployment in India, outlining proposals to establish nine gateway earth stations spanning six metropolitan areas — Mumbai, Noida, Chandigarh, Hyderabad, Kolkata and Lucknow — as it develops its satellite communication (satcom) network infrastructure, The Times Of India reported.

Government sources quoted in the report said that Starlink has requested 600 gigabit per second bandwidth capacity across India using its Gen 1 satellite constellation. The Department of Telecommunications (DoT) has granted preliminary spectrum allocation enabling the company to verify security compliance requirements prior to launching consumer services.

The current authorisation permits Starlink to bring in 100 user terminals exclusively for conducting fixed satellite service trials. 

“Tough conditions have been imposed to prevent misuse,” an official was quoted as saying, acknowledging that satellite networks frequently qualify as critical security infrastructure.

Stringent Security Protocols

The report indicates that Starlink requested permission to deploy international technical specialists for station management, but authorities have prohibited foreign personnel from operating the gateways pending security authorisation from the Ministry of Home Affairs.

“For now, only Indian nationals will be allowed to operate these stations,” the official was quoted as saying. This restriction suggests India’s intensified examination of satcom platforms driven by apprehensions regarding national defence and potential exploitation in sensitive frontier zones.

Previous Security Incidents 

During the current year, India’s intelligence and security organisations flagged concerns regarding the purported unauthorised use of Starlink terminals in prohibited territories. The Ministry of Home Affairs directed the DoT in March to conduct investigations following the confiscation of illegal Starlink equipment in Manipur and the Andaman and Nicobar Islands.

Government agencies have subsequently stressed the importance of data localisation requirements and continuous monitoring to prevent satellite hardware from reaching unauthorised users.

Mandatory Data Storage Requirements

According to the provisional spectrum conditions, commercial service provision remains prohibited throughout the demonstration period. All information collected must remain stored on Indian servers, with Starlink mandated to submit biweekly status updates to DoT and security organizations, encompassing geographical coordinates, terminal specifications, and subscriber locations.

“Any regular spectrum assignment will depend on the government’s final policies and pricing framework after the security compliance phase,” an official was quoted as saying