DoT refutes bias in Starlink authorisation, says all licensees’ approvals pending

The Department of Telecommunications (DoT) on Thursday rejected allegations that it was shielding oligarchs from competition by delaying approvals for SpaceX’s Starlink satellite internet service in India.

The statement came in response to billionaire Elon Musk’s charge on Wednesday that “certain oligarchs” were hindering Starlink’s launch in India. Bharti-backed OneWeb and Reliance Industries Ltd’s satellite internet arm are the other two companies that have secured satellite internet authorisations from the DoT.

However, the DoT said security assessments for both operators are “currently under way”, stressing that the regulatory framework applies uniformly to all satellite communication providers.

“A post is being circulated on social media regarding the fairness of India’s regulatory framework for satellite communication services and suggesting that it is being applied in a discriminatory manner,” the DoT said. “The suggestion that the framework or its application is unfair or discriminatory is baseless and misconceived.”