What Happened
Regulatory Shift Eases Compliance Burden for International Players
India has removed a proposed requirement for satellite broadband operators to source at least 20% of their ground infrastructure equipment locally, easing compliance burdens for international players. However, spectrum pricing and security issues continue to delay commercial launches. The new rules, notified by the Department of Telecommunications, replace India’s old licensing regime with a unified authorization framework. Several global satellite service providers, including Starlink and Eutelsat, are eyeing the Indian market, but security concerns and unclear spectrum pricing mechanisms remain major hurdles. This development was first reported by Light Reading.