Satcom permit may force Starlink to share information on illegal kits seized
New Delhi: Elon Musk's Starlink's satcom permit from the Indian government will make it mandatory for the company to share information, including details of users or owners of satellite kits seized in the country, particularly in the North-East region in the past few months, information the US company was unwilling to share earlier.India's security agencies have pointed out the misuse of Starlink devices in Indian territory, especially in the border areas, officials said.But the Musk company hasn't been cooperating in sharing details of those devices. Officials said Starlink asked the security agencies to put their requests either via the US law enforcement or international protocols. This had forced the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) to write to the Department of Telecommunications (DoT) in March to investigate the matter, officials aware of the details told ET.
The DoT is yet to submit a report to the MHA. But officials say, now that a satcom license has been given to Starlink, it will have no choice but to share those details. Else, the company could be issued a show cause notice and even face revocation of license.
An ET query sent to SpaceX, parent of Starlink, remained unanswered at the time of going to press.
Various ministries coordinate when it comes to national security. Since commercial satellite communication services, particularly through low earth orbit (LEO) operators like Starlink, is a new phenomenon, its impact is yet to be ascertained. However, the security agencies have seized some terminals that were active in the Indian territory in the Northeast region and sought details of the owners.
The DoT was asked to investigate the matter and take preventive measures to safeguard national interests.
Experts believe that the situation may become more complicated as Bhutan and Bangladesh are now commercially offering Starlink services and the terminals may be smuggled into Indian territory as geofencing the exact location of the international border will have limitations.
Security is topmost priority when it comes to satcom and so far, none of the three licensees - Bharti group-backer Eutelsat OneWeb, Reliance Jio-SES and Starlink - have got security clearances, hobbling commercial services.
While Eutelsat OneWeb and Jio-SES joint ventures have got trial spectrum and conducted demonstrations for security requirements, Starlink is yet to be given such airwaves. The US company was given a Global Mobile Personal Communication by Satellite (GMPCS) permit only last week.
Officials said while the Jio-SES demonstrations are almost over, it is expected to take more time for Eutelsat-OneWeb. Both OneWeb and Jio-SES have satcom permits and nods from space regulator Indian National Space Promotion and Authorization Centre (IN-SPACe) for over two years. In contrast, Starlink is yet to receive the nod from the space regulator.
The rules require satcom license holders to monitor all traffic, establish satellite earth station gateways, set up a control and monitoring centre in India, and all the traffic originating or terminating in India shall pass through Indian gateways. The companies are also required to create buffer zones along the international order.
'In case of violation of the license conditions, the licensor (DoT) may take suitable action including suspension, revocation or termination of the license and imposition of financial penalty on the licensee,' said a government official.
As per reports, in December last year, Starlink devices, along with weapons and ammunition, were seized in Manipur by security agencies. In another instance, there was recovery of an illegal Starlink device in the Andaman and Nicobar Islands.
In 2021, Starlink found itself against the Indian law when it started accepting bookings and receiving advance payments for services to be offered in India without any authorisation from the government. The DoT had then directed Starlink to refrain from doing so and issued an advisory to citizens. Starlink was forced to rescind the bookings and make refunds.
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