In a major step towards expanding satellite broadband access, Elon Musk’s Starlink has been granted a Unified Licence to provide satellite internet services in India, Union Telecom Minister Jyotiraditya Scindia announced on Thursday. Alongside the licence, the government has also finalised frameworks for spectrum allocation and gateway setup to facilitate a smooth rollout of services.“Starlink has been granted a Unified License to launch satellite internet services in India. Frameworks for spectrum allocation and gateway establishment are ready, ensuring smooth rollout,” Scindia said, speaking on the eve of the 30th anniversary of India’s first cellular call made in 1995, reported PTI.Along with Starlink, Bharti Group-backed Eutelsat OneWeb and Jio SES are also awaiting spectrum allocation for their satellite communication services.Scindia said that in the past 11 years, under the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, India’s digital transformation had been “nothing short of extraordinary.”“From remote villages to bustling cities, digital access has empowered citizens, bridged divides, and made India a global leader in affordable, inclusive technology,” he said.The minister shared key figures showing telecom sector progress: India now has 1.2 billion telephone connections and 970 million internet subscribers, with broadband usage jumping over 1,450% — from 60 million in 2014 to 944 million today. The cost of mobile data has dropped 96.6%, making India the global leader in affordable data at Rs 8.9 per GB, he noted.Scindia said the revival of state-run BSNL has been a “major breakthrough,” with the telco reporting back-to-back net profits of Rs 262 crore and Rs 280 crore in FY24 and FY25. Over 83,000 4G sites have been installed, of which 74,000 are operational, using indigenously developed technology.He also highlighted AI-powered monitoring systems and fibre fault resolutions within 12 hours as improvements that have raised service standards.India’s rapid 5G rollout, the minister added, has reached 99.6% of the country’s districts with 4.74 lakh towers and 300 million users. India now has the world’s highest per capita 5G data usage at 32 GB per month. The country has also set up 100 5G Use Case Labs and is among the top six countries in 6G patent filings.He added that the telecom PLI scheme has generated Rs 4,305 crore in investments, resulting in Rs 85,391 crore in sales and the creation of over 28,000 jobs. FDI in the sector has nearly tripled from $282 million to $710 million.
