Starlink granted satellite internet permit; spectrum allocation norms ready: Minister

Elon Musk-led Starlink has received a licence to launch satellite service in India, and a framework for spectrum allocation is also in place for a smooth rollout, Union Telecom Minister Jyotiraditya Scindia said on Thursday.

The announcement coincides with the 30th anniversary of the first cellular call made in the country in 1995.

"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.

Along with Starlink, Bharti Group-backed Eutelsat OneWeb and Jio SES are also awaiting spectrum allocation to roll out their satcom services.

The minister said over the last 11 years, under the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, India’s digital transformation has 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 said that telephone connections in the country now stand at 1.2 billion, and internet subscriptions have surged by nearly 286% to reach 970 million.

"Broadband usage has seen explosive growth of over 1,450%, rising from 60 million in 2014 to 944 million today. Most notably, the cost of mobile data has dropped by 96.6%, making India the global leader in affordable data at just Rs 8.9 per GB," he said.

Scindia said the revival of BSNL has been a major breakthrough.

"For the first time in 18 years, BSNL reported back-to-back net profits of Rs 262 crore and Rs 280 crore in FY 2024-25. Over 83,000 4G sites have been installed, with 74,000 already operational, all built on indigenously developed technology. Crack Teams, AI-powered monitoring, and fibre fault resolution within 12 hours have raised service standards across the board," the minister said.

He said India’s rapid 5G rollout has covered 99.6% of districts, with 4.74 lakh 5G towers and 300 million users.

"With the world’s highest per capita 5G usage (32 GB per month) and 100 Use Case Labs in place, India is also among the top six countries in 6G patent filings. Investments under the Production Linked Incentive scheme have touched Rs 4,305 crore, resulting in Rs 85,391 crore in sales and over 28,000 jobs. Foreign Direct Investment has nearly tripled from $282 million to $710 million," the minister said.

Commenting on the 30th anniversary of the first cellular call in India, telecom industry body COAI Director General SP Kochhar said India's telecom sector has witnessed a phenomenal transformation since the country’s first cellular call in 1995.

"Today, India stands as the world’s second-largest telecom market, boasting over 1.2 billion subscribers and some of the most affordable tariff rates globally. An Indian subscriber now uses over 21 GB of data each month on average, which is a testament to the world-class infrastructure developed by leading Indian telecom operators," Kocchar said.

He said that the mobile service landscape in the country started with 2G and now over 85% of India's population and over 99% of the districts in India enjoy access to 5G services.