Starlink not a licensee,DoT asks public not to subscribe

Elon Musk's SpaceX is offering broadband internet services illegally in India. According to the department of telecom(DoT) SpaceX's Starlink is not licensed to offer satellite-based internet services in India. The DoT also advised the public to not subscribe to the services offered by the company, which are available for pre-booking. The Department of Telecommunications Ministry of Communications has pointed out that Starlink Internet Services is not licensed to offer satellite-based internet services in India being advertised to the public… the government, has asked the company to comply with the Indian regulatory framework for rendering satellite-based communication services and refrain from booking/ rendering such services in India with immediate effect,” said Ministry of Communications in a statement issued Friday. In September this year, Elon Musk publicly spoke about India plans for Starlink. While responding to a question on Twitter, the SpaceX founder said he is figuring out the regulatory process in India. "Just figuring out the regulatory approval process," he wrote. Musk had also claimed that Starlink will have the capability to transfer data at the speed of light. At present, the Starlink network relies on a dish, satellites and ground stations,As per media reports the company wants to get rid of these ground stations that have proved to be a hindrance for fast data transfers due to the long time they take to communicate with the satellites. 

Starlink India director Sanjay Bhargava said last month announced on LinkedIn that the company has successfully registered its India subsidiary —Starlink Satellite Communications Private Limited. “Pleased to share that SpaceX now has a 100% owned subsidiary in India.” The company plans to roll out services across 200,000 active terminals in more than 160,000 districts by 2022.