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Minister for Communications Jyotiraditya Scindia on Thursday said Elon Musk's Starlink will be the third satellite internet company to be given a license for providing services in India.
So far, Bharti's OneWeb and Reliance Jio have received a license from the Department of Telecom, government of India, the minister told reporters. "In the coming days, the third license will be provided," he said, referring to Starlink. Once licenses are given, the minister said the spectrum would be allocated to them. "And after this, the government will provide the spectrum. Subsequently, satellite telecom services will be fully operational in the country at a rapid pace. I am sure the customer base in India will grow substantially," the minister added. "Starlink's satellite connectivity is like a new flower in the telecom bouquet," he said, explaining the progress of the telecom ecosystem in the country. "Earlier, there was only a fixed line. Today, there is mobile connectivity and broadband connectivity. Optical fibre connectivity has also come in. Along with these, satellite connectivity is also very important," he quipped. Scindia asserted that internet penetration can only be increased through satellite communication services, especially in remote areas where laying wires and installing towers would be difficult. Recently, Airtel and Jio have also partnered with Starlink to bring the latter's high-speed satellite internet services to their customers in India. Starlink will use Airtel and Jio's strong dealership network to sell and promote its services. Satellite telecom in India will help the country provide much-needed services in remote interior places where conventional telecom services tend to be costly. Starlink's entry into India has gained currency lately, with Donald Trump winning the US presidency for a second term. Elon Musk is a close aide of President Trump. In mid-April, Commerce Minister Piyush Goyal met a delegation from Elon Musk-owned satellite internet services company Starlink. Their discussions covered "Starlink's cutting-edge technology platform, their existing partnerships and future investment plans in India," Minister Goyal had then said in a post on X. (ANI)
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