Government clears path for private satellite firms under new telecom rules

MUMBAI: The sky is no longer the limit, it’s becoming the next telecom highway. As India prepares to beam connectivity from space, private satellite players are getting a clearer runway to serve even the country’s hardest-to-reach corners.

The Centre has reaffirmed that private satellite communication companies are permitted to operate in India under a regulated framework, with OneWeb India Communications, Jio Satellite Communications and Starlink Satellite Communications among the companies authorised to offer satellite-based commercial communication services.

Replying to an unstarred question in the Lok Sabha, Minister of State for Communications Dr Pemmasani Chandra Sekhar said the Department of Telecommunications (DoT) grants authorisation only to Indian companies registered under the Companies Act, 2013, subject to compliance with Unified Licence conditions, including foreign direct investment (FDI) norms, security requirements and applicable national laws.

The government said Unified Licence with Global Mobile Personal Communication by Satellite (GMPCS) authorisation has so far been granted to three companies—OneWeb India Communications Private Limited, Jio Satellite Communications Limited and Starlink Satellite Communications Private Limited.

In addition, 11 companies have received Commercial VSAT Closed User Group (CUG) authorisations. These include Nelco Limited, Hughes Communications India, Cloudcast Digital, Reliance Jio Infocomm, Bharat Sanchar Nigam Limited (BSNL), ONEOTT Intertainment, Jio Satellite Communications, OneWeb India Communications, Avantel, Starlink Satellite Communications and Inmarsat India.

The minister also highlighted that the Telecommunications (Authorisation for Provision of Principal Telecommunication Services) Rules, 2026, notified on 23 June 2026, have replaced the earlier licensing approach with a new authorisation-based regime. Under the framework, eligible companies can provide telecom services through wireline, wireless terrestrial, satellite and submarine networks, while the government retains powers to inspect operations and monitor regulatory compliance.

On spectrum allocation, the government said the Telecommunications Act, 2023 provides for the administrative assignment of spectrum for specified satellite communication services listed in its First Schedule.

These include services such as Teleports, Direct-to-Home (DTH), Headend-in-the-Sky (HITS), Digital Satellite News Gathering (DSNG), Very Small Aperture Terminal (VSAT), Global Mobile Personal Communication by Satellite (GMPCS), National Long Distance (NLD), International Long Distance (ILD) and Mobile Satellite Services in the L and S bands.

Addressing security concerns, the government clarified that satellite communication providers are granted operational clearance only after successfully demonstrating compliance with stipulated security and technical conditions under their licence agreements.

The Centre also underlined satellite communications’ role in bridging India’s connectivity gap, noting that the technology is particularly suited for rural, border, tribal and island regions, where laying terrestrial infrastructure such as optical fibre or microwave networks remains difficult or commercially unviable.

With the new telecom framework in place and multiple private operators entering the market, the government is positioning satellite communications as a key pillar of India’s next phase of digital connectivity, particularly in regions beyond the reach of conventional networks.