Latest news with #GMPCS
News18
3 days ago
- Business
- News18
Google, Starlink To Boost India's Digital Infrastructure? Exclusive From Govt Sources
Last Updated: News18 has exclusively accessed the Centre's approval letter to Starlink. News18 spoke to senior government sources on what the developments could mean for India India's digital infrastructure is set to get a boost. While Google plans to set up a key data centre in India, Starlink has received a licence authorisation for its services in the country. News18 has exclusively accessed the Centre's approval letter to Starlink. News18 spoke to senior government sources on what this could mean for India. 'Any Internet connectivity is good. Look at the amount of data India consumes. In such a scenario, a Google data centre could easily improve services and reduce the costing, which is great news," sources said. 'Apart from costing and connectivity, such a move would also boost India's global image as an international digital hub. The improvement in global sentiment always works in favour of the country," said sources. Mumbai, Kochi and Chennai have cable landing centres. The move would reinforce India's role as a key market for Google's AI and cloud growth strategy. 'Data centre will need land. Cables in Mumbai and Kochi would be key to provide services to South Asia." However, sources said the licensing provisions need to be thrashed out. 'Security should be taken into consideration. India could put a cap in case of cyber attack or a clause seeking cooperation." Earlier, reports had stated that Google was reportedly close to acquiring a 22.5-acre plot in Navi Mumbai to develop its first self-built data centre in the country. This expansion had come in the wake of Google strengthening its commitment to supporting the rapid adoption of AI and cloud technologies in India. The LoI granted: 'Unified License with authorizations for VSAT(National Area), ISP A(National Area) and GMPCS (National Area) on non-exclusive basis subject to the guidelines of Unified License dated 17.01.2022 and as amended from time to time". 'The Letter of Intent (Lol) is being issued based on the information/certificate submitted by your application ID UL20221041 dated 08.02.2024 and UL 20210651 dated 14.10.2022 with the condition that at a later date if the information/certificate is found wrong or misleading, the license shall be liable to be terminated. Further, if the information/ certificate/ undertaking being submitted by the company along with the compliance of the Lol, is found wrong or misleading at a later date, then also, the license shall be liable to be terminated or any other action as deemed fit by the licensor," it said. First Published:
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Business Standard
20-05-2025
- Business
- Business Standard
India will see fastest satcom rollout, says Jyotiraditya Scindia
India will see the fastest global rollout so far for satellite communication, Telecom Minister Jyotiraditya Scindia said on Tuesday. This would expand the satcom market in India to $20 billion by 2028, ten times larger than the current $2.3 billion, he said. Addressing a seminar at the headquarters of the Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI), Scindia said satellite telecom technology is complementary to the existing bouquet of services. The minister's comments came on a day when Elon Musk's Starlink announced the launch of telecom services in neighbouring Bangladesh. While the Department of Telecommunications (DoT) has cleared Starlink's application for satellite communication services in India, the company still needs to secure IN-SPACe clearance in record time if it wants to roll out signals alongside others, industry insiders say. Its competitor Airtel-backed Eutelsat OneWeb received a GMPCS licence effective from August 2021, while Jio Satellite Communication Ltd has held it since March 2022. The minister said the DoT is studying the recommendations made on the allocation of space spectrum, which were released earlier this month. These mandate that operators pay 4 per cent of their annual Adjusted Gross Revenue (AGR) as spectrum usage charges (SUC) to offer services in India. The spectrum is to be assigned for five years, extendable by an additional two years. These and other key recommendations are expected to be presented to the Cabinet for approval soon, TRAI officials have said. A KPMG report has pointed out that India ranks fourth globally in terms of investments in the sector. Nearly $2 billion was invested in 110 firms locally, it said last year. Instead, Scindia asked telecom operators to focus on quality of service (QoS). 'It's important to make sure we have the largest or second-largest market in the world, but it also must be defined on the parameter of highest QoS. It is my sincere hope that all our telco providers will move up the value chain of QoS, not up to international benchmarks but beyond that,' he said. The 5G rollout in India has been the fastest in the world, covering 99 per cent of districts and 82 per cent of the population in 22 months, Scindia stressed. Arguing that the DoT has focused on performance, transparency and accountability, the minister said the Sanchar Sathi mobile app has resulted in 3.4 crore fake mobile connections being disconnected, and 30 lakh phones being blocked in the last 11 months. Meanwhile, it has ensured that 17 lakh stolen phones have been recovered, a 97 per cent reduction in international spoofed calls has been achieved, and an AI-enabled telecom monitoring system has given confidence to users.
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Business Standard
20-05-2025
- Business
- Business Standard
Confident satcom rollout will be fastest in India: Telecom Minister
India will see the fastest global rollout so far for satellite communication, Telecom Minister Jyotiraditya Scindia said on Tuesday. This would expand the satcom market in India to $20 billion by 2028, ten times larger than the current $2.3 billion, he said. Addressing a seminar at the headquarters of the Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI), Scindia said satellite telecom technology is complementary to the existing bouquet of services. The minister's comments came on a day when Elon Musk's Starlink announced the launch of telecom services in neighbouring Bangladesh. While the Department of Telecommunications (DoT) has cleared Starlink's application for satellite communication services in India, the company still needs to secure IN-SPACe clearance in record time if it wants to roll out signals alongside others, industry insiders say. Its competitor Airtel-backed Eutelsat OneWeb received a GMPCS licence effective from August 2021, while Jio Satellite Communication Ltd has held it since March 2022. The minister said the DoT is studying the recommendations made on the allocation of space spectrum, which were released earlier this month. These mandate that operators pay 4 per cent of their annual Adjusted Gross Revenue (AGR) as spectrum usage charges (SUC) to offer services in India. The spectrum is to be assigned for five years, extendable by an additional two years. These and other key recommendations are expected to be presented to the Cabinet for approval soon, TRAI officials have said. A KPMG report has pointed out that India ranks fourth globally in terms of investments in the sector. Nearly $2 billion was invested in 110 firms locally, it said last year. Instead, Scindia asked telecom operators to focus on quality of service (QoS). 'It's important to make sure we have the largest or second-largest market in the world, but it also must be defined on the parameter of highest QoS. It is my sincere hope that all our telco providers will move up the value chain of QoS, not up to international benchmarks but beyond that,' he said. The 5G rollout in India has been the fastest in the world, covering 99 per cent of districts and 82 per cent of the population in 22 months, Scindia stressed. Arguing that the DoT has focused on performance, transparency and accountability, the minister said the Sanchar Sathi mobile app has resulted in 3.4 crore fake mobile connections being disconnected, and 30 lakh phones being blocked in the last 11 months. Meanwhile, it has ensured that 17 lakh stolen phones have been recovered, a 97 per cent reduction in international spoofed calls has been achieved, and an AI-enabled telecom monitoring system has given confidence to users.
Time of India
19-05-2025
- Business
- Time of India
Starlink set to get final nod for services
Representative image. NEW DELHI: Elon Musk 's Starlink looks set to clear the final regulatory hurdle for beginning satcom services in India . IN-SPACe , the nodal agency under the department of space (DoS), is likely to grant approval to the company for launching commercial satellite broadband services. The inter-ministerial standing committee of IN-SPACe (Indian National Space Promotion and Authorisation Centre), which includes members from the DoS, I&B, DoT, MHA, MEA, and commerce and industry ministries, will be taking up Starlink's agenda in its next meeting. "Broadly, the approval for satellite will be given to Starlink as the ministries of home and external affairs - which are the key decision-makers on matters of security and geopolitical situation - have already approved the company's proposal at the department of telecom (DoT)," a top source told TOI. The DoT issued a letter of intent (LoI) to Starlink on May 7, finally approving its application for a Global Mobile Personal Communication by Satellite (GMPCS) licence. "DoT's LoI means that any concerns around security and other strategic matters have already been addressed by the company and vetted by key agencies. We thus expect the IN-SPACe approval to come very soon, over the coming weeks," the source said. IN-SPACe, is a single-window, independent, nodal agency that functions as an autonomous agency in the department of space. While Starlink comes close to getting all regulatory approvals, govt has kickstarted process of allotting spectrum to satcom companies, which include satcom JVs and investments of local Reliance Jio and Airtel. Stay informed with the latest business news, updates on bank holidays and public holidays . AI Masterclass for Students. Upskill Young Ones Today!– Join Now
Mint
16-05-2025
- Business
- Mint
OneWeb seeks more time to meet satcom security norms as spectrum allocation nears
New Delhi: With its trial phase for satellite internet spectrum drawing to a close this month, Eutelsat OneWeb, backed by Airtel's parent Bharti Enterprises, is seeking more time from the Centre to meet all of India's stringent security norms. Three officials aware of the matter, who requested anonymity since the subject is currently in discussions, said that extending the spectrum trial is crucial because while OneWeb has met almost 80% of the security requirements of the department of telecommunications (DoT), the final bit presents a significant technological challenge. 'The DoT may extend the timeline for use of the provisional spectrum, to give OneWeb time to attain full compliance," one of the three officials cited above said. 'Jio Platforms has not yet made such an application." Also read: No spectrum sale this year, new bands likely in 2026 The challenges, two of the officials said, include setting up network control and monitoring centres in the country, giving India control over satellite telemetry–on-ground management and monitoring of satellites based on transmitted data. Indian authorities require that telemetry and control of satellites serving Indian users need to be done from within India to ensure national security and data sovereignty. At the same time, executives close to OneWeb do not expect this to be a long-term hurdle, although it might pose a challenge to OneWeb starting its commercial services. An executive close to both OneWeb and Jio, requesting anonymity, said that some regulations 'are always aspirational, which law enforcement agencies also know will need continuous improvements". 'The services can thus begin as soon as spectrum is allocated, and efforts toward compliance will continue alongside," the executive added. To be sure, OneWeb was the first satcom company to receive the GMPCS (global mobile personal communication by satellite) licence from the DoT, which authorizes companies to operate satellite-based communications services in India, in April 2022. The provisional spectrum was opened to companies by DoT in a notification dated 10 October last year, at a one-time fee of ₹1,10,000 for the six-month period. Emails sent to OneWeb India, Jio Platforms and department of telecommunications were unanswered till press time. Also read: New satcom rules key to cross-border security, says minister A senior consultant that works with both the operators said that Elon Musk's SpaceX will also face the same hurdle. 'There is a clear directive on the security regulations being maintained closely and in their current format. While compliance will add some technical burden, other geographies have offered similar precedent in the interest of national security, and should likely not be a challenge in the long run," the consultant said. Mint reported in March that the Centre's spectrum allocation for satellite internet services is expected to take place by June. The government will administratively assign satellite spectrum to companies to offer internet in India, for a fee. Tough norms Shivaji Chatterjee, chief executive, president and managing director of Hughes Communications India, a distributor of OneWeb's satellite services in the country, said that India's satcom security standards are different from global norms, and among the most stringent. 'Complying with these standards may require significant effort, both in terms of configuring existing management and monitoring systems, and setting up new equipment," Chatterjee said. 'India appears to want as much local control over constellations, gateways and terminals in the country as possible, and also does not want any external control or visibility into Indian terminals. While operators are working to meet the requirements as much as is feasible, setting up a complete local telemetry control and tracking system appears to be extremely difficult." Also read: Airtel's equity conversion proposal to assess option, not a decision: Vittal Meanwhile, the SatCom Industry Association of India (Sia) is not making any representation to the communications ministry on the security regulations for satcom services, according to Anil Prakash, the body's director-general. Sia counts Hughes and Luxembourg-based satellite operator SES as its members, alongside other key satellite operators globally such as Inmarsat, Intelsat and Telesat. 'The rules are crucial in the interest of national security, which is of tantamount importance especially today," said Prakash. 'All operators have also taken cognizance of this, and are working toward achieving compliance in the best way possible. All things considered, spectrum allocation and commencement of satcom services are expected this year itself, even as specific areas of compliance take longer to achieve." Jio Platforms, which is also in the satcom market with its 'JioSpaceFiber' consumer broadband service through a joint venture with SES, has not applied for an extension to its trial phase, an executive close to developments at the company told Mint. To be sure, Jio's application for the trial spectrum was made some time after OneWeb's, thereby giving it more time in hand to achieve full compliance with satcom security guidelines. Jio's usage of middle-earth orbit (Meo) satellites in comparison with OneWeb's low-earth orbit (Leo) ones is also fundamentally different in terms of the technology, which makes the complexity of complying with the security requirements different for the two operators. The Jio-SES satcom service uses six Meo satellites, while OneWeb operates a constellation of 630 Leo satellites offering connectivity worldwide. Another executive close to the two operators also said that the 'final 5%" is the key hurdle for OneWeb to clear. 'The next trials are in a few weeks. No company may meet this bit, and the Centre may need to relax the rules and understand the way networks and constellations are designed," this executive said, adding that control of satellite telemetry is a complex process to achieve and comply with. This is because a Leo constellation constantly orbits the earth, beaming down connectivity in a relay layout to various geographies. As a result, individually localizing spectrum within a specified geography is a complex technical task. Vinish Bawa, partner and telecom leader at consultancy firm PricewaterhouseCoopers India added that the current regulatory bump is 'a clear playbook for players eyeing the market—build local, stay secure and win trust".
