Latest news with #ParnilUrdhwareshe
NDTV
5 days ago
- Business
- NDTV
Rs 1.6 Crore Fee, 2G Spectrum Scam Clauses For Starlink's Entry To India
New Delhi: Elon Musk's satellite communication company Starlink will pay a non-refundable fee of Rs 1.6 crore and will likely be issued a licence by mid-June to begin its operations in India, sources have told NDTV Profit. The venture is required to submit performance and financial bank guarantees totalling over Rs 1.20 crore and adhere to legal clauses focused on accountability and national security, the sources added. The Letter of Intent (LoI) issued to Starlink in early May, has details of the terms and conditions as well as security guidelines that global Satellite communication companies must follow. Sources also tell NDTV Profit that Starlink's Global Licensing Head, Parnil Urdhwareshe, is currently visiting Delhi for a meeting with top DoT(Department of Telecom) officials to review the final leg of their India project. "The document (LoI) acts as a full-spectrum legal shield. Even if there's no direct link today, the government has left room to act if something surfaces later," a senior official said on condition of anonymity. The LoI, issued by the Department of Telecommunications and reviewed by NDTV Profit, outlines a comprehensive set of obligations designed to ensure "control, accountability, and a loophole-free entry" into India's telecom ecosystem. According to the document and sources, the non-refundable entry fee includes the company's authorisations under the Unified Licence for GMPCS, VSAT, and ISP-A services, to enable it to provide its services across India. Besides, the performance and financial bank guarantees will ensure the company meets its rollout and service obligation. Failure to comply with the requirements will allow the government to invoke the guarantees and recover the amount directly from the bank, the document and sources said. The licence can also be revoked at any point if any disclosure is found to be false or misleading, they added. Apart from financial conditions, the LoI has also listed several clauses for the deal with the satellite venture. Starlink will need to clear all dues, not just for itself but for any affiliate, sister concern, or associated company that may have been connected to operators whose licences were cancelled under the Supreme Court's 2012 2G spectrum verdict, the sources said. On February 2, 2012, the top court quashed 2G spectrum licences given to various firms during the tenure of A Raja as the telecom minister in January 2008. The Central Bureau of Investigation claimed there was a loss of Rs 30,984 crore to the exchequer during allocation of the licences. Although, Starlink is yet to receive the final unified licence for operations in India, sources suggest the Musk-run company is likely to issue the document by mid-June, provided all conditions are fulfilled. Starlink plans to roll out its first phase of infrastructure within six to seven months of obtaining government approval, including setting up over 27 ground gateways across three strategic locations in the country. A gateway is the bridge operating from an 'Earth station'; it links the user to the internet, enabling delivery of high-speed internet by connecting the satellites to the global internet infrastructure. Earlier, sources said the satellite-based internet service provider will begin operations in India by offering 600 to 700 Gbps or gigabytes per second of bandwidth. On Tuesday, Union Communications Minister Jyotiraditya Scindia said the country is eager to welcome players like Mr. Musk's Starlink. "Just like in civil aviation, or in the telecom service provider space, or in the ISP space or the fixed wireless access space, my job is to ensure that I provide choice to the consumer. And India is ready for SATCOM service delivery. All players across the world are welcome. As long as they comply with our regulations, they check the boxes and are ready to perform business in India, all are welcome in India," he told NDTV Profit.
NDTV
28-05-2025
- Business
- NDTV
Ready, Set Beam. Starlink Nears India Launch, Bandwidth, Price Details
New Delhi: Starlink - the satellite-based internet service provider owned by Elon Musk - will begin India operations within 12 months by offering 600 to 700 Gbps, or gigabytes per second, of bandwidth, Department of Telecommunications sources told NDTV Profit Wednesday. This initial beaming capacity will only support between 30,000 and 50,000 users at a time and in certain cities or built-up areas, but this will eventually expand to a staggering 3 Tbps, or terabytes per second, by 2027, DoT sources said, pending regulatory approval. Two to three 'Earth station sites' - Starlink's name for centres connecting its array of satellites to the internet - have been identified, with nine 'gateways' planned per site, sources said. A gateway is the bridge operating from an 'Earth station'. It links the user to the internet, enabling delivery of high-speed internet by connecting the satellites to the global internet infrastructure. Starlink India Prices Sources also said Starlink plans to introduce a direct-to-consumer, or DTC, model in India, which will allow individuals to skip intermediaries providing the same service - i.e., ISPs like Bharti Airtel, Vodafone, and Reliance Jio - and purchase a personal internet connection. Airtel and Jio - India's largest telecom operators and internet service providers - have already signed B2B, or business-to-business deals with Starlink to sell its satellite-based internet. The DTC model is expected to be a premium service, with personal Starlink ground stations to cost between $250 and $600, which is roughly Rs 20,000 to Rs 50,000. This is in line with global prices, although the company will also have one eye on India's reputation as a price-conscious market and the already low cost of data in the country. Starlink Licence Close With Starlink expected to rollout within nine months, or at most a year, sources said the company's Global Licensing Head, Parnil Urdhwareshe, met DoT officials this month. The Department of Technology is in the process of securing bank guarantees from SATCOM, or satellite companies, providers, and is expected to grant Starlink a license by mid-June. Sources, however, stressed the grant of licence is tied to Starlink's unconditional agreement to terms; Musk's company is understood to be currently reviewing these terms. Centre Greenlights Starlink Earlier this month the government issued a letter of intent to Starlink, which has been trying to enter the Indian market since 2022. Earlier both Airtel and Jio had opposed its entry. However, in October last year the government decided it would allot bandwidth to Starlink. Space-focused financial firm Quilty Space projects Starlink will add three million subscribers globally in 2025, with a million coming from Asia, its director of research Caleb Henry said. Henry told Reuters India will be the biggest contributor to Starlink's Asia growth.
