Telecom department to Elon Musk's Starlink: Only Indian nationals should operate Gateway Stations till ...

Elon Musk's Starlink reportedly plans to set up gateway earth stations across India. According to a report in Economic Times, these gateway stations will be set up at nine places across India, including Mumbai, Noida, Chandigarh, Kolkata and Lucknow.

Quotng sources the report says that the Elon Musk-owned company is readying infrastructure ahead of the commercial launch of its satellite communication services in the country.An official, who did not want to be quoted, said that the company has applied for 600 gigabit per second capacity over India through its Gen 1 constellation. The spectrum has reportedly been assigned on a provisional basis for demonstrating security related compliances.Starlink must abide by rules and provide information sought by security agenciesThe Telecom Department has reportedly permitted Starlink to import 100 terminals for testing fixed satellite services, with strict conditions to prevent misuse due to the critical nature of satcom, which could be exploited by anti-national forces. Although Starlink is said to be keen on bringing foreign technical experts to work at the gateway stations, the company has been specifically told that only Indian nationals should operate the stations till Union home affairs ministry gives security clearances to all foreign nationals who will be working at these gateway stations.

Security concerns were raised earlier this year when Starlink devices were reportedly misused in border areas, leading to a Home Affairs Ministry investigation request in March. In December 2024, security agencies seized Starlink devices alongside weapons in Manipur and recovered an illegal device in the Andaman and Nicobar Islands. Despite Starlink’s initial dismissal of these concerns, it must now comply with security requirements and provide information to agencies.

Spectrum assignment will follow prevailing policies, including pricing and authorization frameworks, after the security compliance period. Other rules require that Starlink must store all data generated during trial period in India, ensure equipment remains secure, and share terminal details. These include: Names, addresses, and geo-coordinates -- with the DoT and security agencies every two weeks. Law enforcement can inspect and access data from Satcom terminals. License holders are also required to monitor traffic, establish satellite earth station gateways and a control center in India, and ensure all traffic to or from India passes through Indian gateways.