loading
loading
The irony was not lost on many. Around the same time as the internet in India’s national capital Delhi was shut down for several hours amid massive security and incessant protests, SpaceXAI chairman and founder Elon Musk waded into one of his quintessential Twitter feuds with the Indian government over Starlink and its satellite internet services. This time, his target was not just the Indian government. Musk took on Reliance Jio — and then Mukesh Ambani too — accusing the conglomerate of strong-arming the government into creating a monopoly when it comes to satellite internet or satcom services. He even called Ambani the Prime Minister of India. “Starlink is licensed in over 165 countries and has spent five years complying with every single law and requirement of the government of India, so why still no license?” Musk posted, asking whether Ambani is the “real boss of India”. Out came the responses from all quarters of India. Reliance Industries rejected suggestions that it fears competition, saying it welcomes satellite broadband players, including Starlink, provided they follow Indian laws and policies. Reliance also pointed out that Jio’s satellite services are awaiting clearances. The Ministry of Communications, meanwhile, has denied allegations of unequal treatment. It said the authorisation framework is fair and non-discriminatory, and that Starlink, Reliance Jio and Bharti-backed Eutelsat OneWeb are at “broadly the same regulatory stage.” And then, Starlink responded to Reliance saying, “We have worked closely with regulators, industry and operators in India for 5+ years, and built a network of dedicated systems, gateways, and other infrastructure all in-country to exclusively serve Indian traffic safely and securely - and all with the requisite government approvals.” Everyone’s Waiting In The Queue The immediate question is what Starlink means by having the “requisite government approvals”. Its statement does not explicitly say that its security assessment is complete or that spectrum has been assigned. Those are separate steps from obtaining a satellite communications licence and an IN-SPACe authorisation, and they stand between the operators and commercial launch. The DoT has taken a similar line on the approval process. It said all three operators have received GMPCS licences and that security assessments remain underway. Global Mobile Personal Communication by Satellite (GMPCS) is a satellite-based communication system that provides voice, data, fax, and messaging services directly to portable terminals anywhere on ground. The DoT added that spectrum assignment will follow once the relevant assessments are complete. So a licence does not, by itself, authorise a company to start commercial services. Operators must meet the conditions attached to their services, clear the security process and complete spectrum-related requirements. The dates of approvals have become part of the debate. Eutelsat OneWeb received its GMPCS licence in August 2021 and IN-SPACe authorisation in November 2023. Jio’s satellite communications arm received its GMPCS licence in March 2022. Starlink received its GMPCS licence in June 2025 and IN-SPACe authorisation in July 2025. However, this timeline does not tell the full story. According to a Financial Express report citing DoT records, Jio Satellite Communications Limited (JSCL) completed its security and technical compliance demonstration on March 20, 2025, while Eutelsat OneWeb conducted its demonstration in January 2025. Starlink’s demonstration took place only in early 2026. So if anything, OneWeb should be ahead of Starlink and Jio in the queue after the final assessments. Bharti Enterprises chairman Sunil Bharti Mittal said OneWeb had applied for approval five years ago, its ground network had been ready for three years, and its satellites had been positioned over India for around five years. Mittal added OneWeb would be happy to receive approval “at least a few days before him .” The different timelines do not, on their own, establish that one company has been favoured or that others are being held back. They also do not explain what conditions remain outstanding or unfulfilled in each case. Therefore, the relevant questions are which requirements each operator has met, what is still pending and whether the same standard and timelines apply to all three players. This will help us get to the bottom of the questions that Musk has raised. The Regulator Takes Its Time Sohom Banerjee, a public policy and technology strategist and founder of Quantive Advisory LLP, said the delay raises questions about regulator predictability, but is not in itself proof of unequal treatment. A fair process, he argued, requires equivalent security standards, documented criteria, clarity on outstanding requirements and a defined next step for each applicant. Banerjee also cautioned against treating proposed timelines for one regulatory stage as deadlines for the entire process. The Telecom Regulatory Authority of India’s suggested 30-day window for spectrum assignment and objections relates to a stage after prior in-principle network clearance. It should not be interpreted as a deadline for completing security assessments. The criteria for security assessment are not open for public discussion or consultation, but given that internet services are critical not just for civilian use but also defence infrastructure, experts presume that such assessments may not necessarily take the same time for each applicant. The approval process involves four distinct steps: a GMPCS licence, IN-SPACe authorisation, security assessment and spectrum assignment. Conflating them and calling this a single approval is what complicates the narrative. Starlink May Be Ready, But Is That All It Takes? Starlink’s latest statement is a claim about its preparation and infrastructure, but this does not indicate anything about whether the Indian government has completed its diligence when it comes to the security assessment. While Starlink says it has built dedicated systems and gateways in India to serve Indian traffic, and that these have the requisite government approvals, this is not a guarantee of spectrum allocation. The distinction is also relevant to Reliance Jio. In its IPO papers, Jio Platforms identified satellite broadband as a potential competitor to JioFiber and JioAirfiber, particularly in areas where terrestrial networks are expensive or difficult to deploy. It also flagged that administrative allocation of satellite spectrum could give satellite operators a different cost structure from terrestrial telecom players that acquire spectrum through auctions. It’s imperative to understand the structure. Jio Satellite Communications Limited, a wholly owned subsidiary of Jio Platforms, was incorporated in October 2021 to provide communications services, including satellite-based connectivity. It reported revenue from operations of ₹34.3 Cr in FY26 up from ₹10.7 Cr in FY25, against no revenue in FY24. The company reported ₹10.5 Cr for the quarter ended June 30, 2026. These figures relate to the subsidiary and should not be read as revenue from a launched retail satellite broadband service. The filings also identify uncertainties around the timing, approvals and competitiveness of Jio’s own satellite plans. The company therefore has a commercial stake in the rules governing satellite broadband, even as its services await clearance. And indeed, that has to be made amply clear: no company has launched satellite internet services in India yet. Banerjee said predictable regulation does not mean relaxing security checks. It means setting out the criteria, identifying the authority responsible for each decision and communicating what remains to be done. Security checks are central to satellite broadband because the operator controls parts of a communications network that may be used in strategically sensitive areas. The assessment needs to establish how India can retain oversight of network operations, access to sensitive information and service continuity. One could also argue that this is a cultural difference, that Musk is used to a different governance approach when it comes to such matters. A security clearance is part of the overall approvals in the US, for example, and not a separate process. Tarun Wig, cofounder and CEO of Innefu Labs, said foreign-controlled satellite networks can create risks around data sovereignty, service continuity and external control over critical communications infrastructure, particularly during conflicts. Starlink’s role in Ukraine has brought those concerns into focus, he said, though the circumstances there do not automatically mean India would face the same risks. Wig said India should have a security framework in place before these services launch. He pointed to data protection and localisation requirements where necessary, network security audits, encryption, lawful interception under Indian law, incident reporting and safeguards against unauthorised access and cyberattacks. Banerjee spoke on the operational control aspects of the security assessment. He believes that relevant checks could examine who can activate terminals, change routing or coverage, access sensitive network information and suspend services. Domestic control over key network functions, auditable access, terminal identification, restrictions in sensitive areas and clear incident-reporting processes likely also form part of the assessment. The commercial case for satellite broadband is clear in places where fibre and mobile networks are difficult or costly to extend. TRAI data for August 2026 recorded 48.63 Mn wired broadband connections and 19.34 Mn fixed wireless connections. Satellite services could help connect remote communities and businesses including mines, energy sites, schools and health centres. Their reach will depend on pricing, network capacity and the conditions attached to spectrum. The government’s position is that all three operators remain subject to the same security process. But to settle questions about delay and unequal treatment, it will need to make the next steps clearer: which requirements remain pending for each operator, who must sign off and what needs to happen before spectrum is assigned. Starlink says it’s ready to launch but is not being allowed to. Reliance says it doesn’t fear competition. OneWeb says it’s also waiting in the queue. Ultimately, no one has launched anything yet, so all of this seems more like a case of Musk’s impatience. Edited By Nikhil Subramaniam Creatives: Abhyam Gusai
document fetched 2026-10-19 03:01 · canonical https://inc42.com/features/starlink-jio-oneweb-untangling-the-satcom-queue