Govt slams Elon Musk's allegations; says fair, non-discriminatory rules in place for satcom

NEW DELHI: The government on Thursday slammed US business tycoon Elon Musk over his allegations that Starlink's satcom services are being blocked, and made it clear that demonstrating compliance with security norms is an absolute must for every satcom licensee in the country.

The government also emphasised that a fair and non-discriminatory framework is in place for all telecom offerings, including satellite services.

Any suggestion that the framework or its application is unfair or discriminatory is baseless and misconceived, the government said in a statement.

On Wednesday, Musk alleged that "certain oligarchs" have blocked his company's satellite communication services in India to maintain their monopoly in the country.

"A post is being circulated in 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 Government has put in place a fair and non-discriminatory authorisation framework for all telecommunication services, including satellite communication services," the telecom ministry said on Thursday.

The government has granted licenses to three satellite communications companies -- Musk-led Starlink, Jio Satcom and Eutelsat OneWeb, for starting operations in India.

However, all the companies need spectrum and security clearance before starting the service.

The telecom ministry said that under the terms and conditions of license, every such licensee is required to demonstrate compliance with security conditions.

"This is aimed at ensuring that services provided meet various security requirements to ensure safety of all users and their data. Security assessment as part of this process is currently under way in respect of all three licensees," the ministry said.

The ministry said that as and when this process is completed for a licensed entity, it may proceed to the next step of seeking assignment of spectrum.

"At present, all three entities are broadly at the same regulatory stage. As such, the suggestion that the framework or its application is unfair or discriminatory is baseless and misconceived," the statement said.