Govt Flags Security Concerns Ahead Of Starlink’s India Launch

SUMMARY

Officials have told Starlink to establish a control centre in India to enable the Centre to suspend satcom services in sensitive or troubled areas, when necessary

The Centre has also directed Starlink to allow law-enforcement agencies to intercept calls through official channels when required

This comes just days after reports surfaced that the TRAI is considering allotting satcom spectrum for a period of five years to assess initial market adoption

Ahead of Starlink’s entry into India, the government has directed the Elon Musk-led satellite communication (satcom) operator to comply with a slew of new mandates.

Top government sources told Times of India that local authorities have told Starlink to establish a control centre in the country, which would enable the government to suspend satcom services in sensitive or troubled areas, when necessary, to maintain law and order.

“We cannot be expected to knock on their (Starlink’s) doors or approach their headquarters in the US whenever such an exigency arises,” a source reportedly said. The satcom operator is said to have assured the Centre that it is reviewing the matter.

As per the report, the government has also outlined multiple security mandates for Starlink, including allowing law-enforcement agencies to intercept calls through official channels when required. Sources reportedly added that interception is a standard security requirement for all telecom networks, including telcos such as Jio, Airtel, and Vodafone Idea.

“For this, the satcom companies have been asked not to transfer calls directly through the satellite network and instead route them back to their India gateway and then use the channel taken by any conventional communication service — such as a call emanating from a landline or a terrestrial mobile phone service,” a source reportedly said.

Simply put, if an Indian satellite phone user calls their counterpart in another country, the call will first go through satellite and then be routed through the company’s India gateway ‘point of presence’ (PoP). Subsequently, the call will be transmitted through conventional telecom infrastructure, such as undersea cables.

According to the report, Starlink executives have been “engaging” with Indian officials to address these security concerns.

This comes just days after reports surfaced that the Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI) is considering allotting satcom spectrum for a period of five years to assess initial market adoption. This is nearly a fourth of Musk’s demand for a 20-year permit for Starlink’s satellite broadband spectrum.

The developments also come at a time when Starlink appears all set to commence its operations in the country. If reports are to be believed, the Elon Musk-backed company’s application for a satcom licence is in the final stages of approval.

Earlier this month, Starlink signed pacts with the two biggest Indian telcos, Reliance Jio and Bharti Airtel, to enter the Indian market. It is pertinent to note that the agreement will hinge on SpaceX obtaining authorisation from relevant authorities to launch Starlink’s services in the country.