DoT Allocates Provisional Spectrum to Starlink: What This Means (2025)

MediaNama’s take:

With provisional spectrum allocation, Starlink has come one step closer to launching services as soon as it and the rest of the authorised players receive commercial spectrum. The company may now be on a similar official service launch timeline as established players like Jio-SES and Airtel-backed OneWeb. The provisional allocation circular also provides insight into the kind of requirements foreign satcom entities will have to meet if they wish to provide services in India.

While Starlink does have provisional spectrum now, the requirements for security clearances for foreign nationals, and regular reporting to law enforcement suggest that the Indian Government is prioritising security and data sovereignty.

These priorities become even more evident when one looks at the security instructions that the Department of Telecommunications (DoT) released in May this year for players with a Global Mobile Personal Communication by Satellite (GMPCS) license. As per these instructions, satcom companies with this license must place their network traffic and control monitoring system (which performs interception, monitoring, user data traffic routing, and control of equipment in gateways) in India.

What’s the news:

The DoT has provisionally allocated spectrum to Starlink for the company to demonstrate compliance with the technical and security standards for its satellite network.

As per a DoT circular that MediaNama has reviewed, the company received this provisional spectrum allocation in August 2025 and it will be applicable for six months or till the company completes its demonstration of compliance. The provisional allocation requirements restrict Starlink from providing any commercial satcom services.

Other authorised satcom players like Reliance Jio-SES’s joint satcom venture and Bharti Airtel backed OneWeb both received provisional spectrum for testing their services in October last year, as per a Moneycontrol report.

As per the current circular, those who receive provisional spectrum from the DoT have to ensure that their network is isolated, safe and secure from all vulnerabilities. They also need to have adequate security arrangements to prevent their wireless equipment from falling into unauthorised hands. In case there is any interference with existing telecom networks, the company will have to stop its services till the issue is resolved.

Key conditions for provisional spectrum allocation:

Only Indian nationals can operate Starlink’s stations till the Government receives security clearances for the foreign nationals Starlink has listed in its application. Also, the frequency and parameters for spectrum assignment are subject to the discretion of the Government and can change at any time.

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Starlink has to store the data that it generates during the security compliance period within India, and the company is responsible for ensuring that this data is secure and private.

Further, the DoT requires the satcom company to ensure that it does not share the data it generates during operations with anyone – except law enforcement agencies (LEAs) – without the DoT’s explicit permission. Notably, all LEAs will have the right to inspect and seek data from Starlink’s terminals.

Starlink has to report the deployment details of user terminals (names, addresses and geo-coordinates) to the DoT and LEAs every 15 days from the date of provisional allocation. It also has to submit a consolidated report of these terminals to the DoT at the end of the provisional period.

The DoT also mentions that regular spectrum assignments will be subject to regulations/policies including the authorisation framework, spectrum pricing mechanism prevalent at or after the security compliance period’s expiry.

Also read:

• Satcom at risk? CERT-In warns of AI and IoT-related cyber threats in advisory, urges on encryption control
• Starlink Receives IN-SPACe Approval to Launch Satellite Services in India
• India’s New Satellite Security Rules Demand Monitoring and Lawful Interception from Satcom Operators