Lok Sabha Question No. 1783 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2025-12-10
Subject: GMPCS Licenses
Ministry: COMMUNICATIONS
Asked by: Shri Brijendra Singh Ola

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA MINISTRY OF COMMUNICATIONS DEPARTMENT OF TELECOMMUNICATIONS

## LOK SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 1783 ANSWERED ON 10 TH  DECEMBER, 2025

## GMPCS LICENSES

## †1783.  SHRI BRIJENDRA SINGH OLA:

Will the Minister of COMMUNICATIONS be pleased to state:

- (a) whether the foreign companies have applied for Global Mobile Personal Communication by Satellite (GMPCS) licenses in the country and if so, the details of processing status and the measures taken by the Government to ensure transparency;
- (b) whether  the  Government  has  granted  permission  to  Starlink  to  provide  satellite-based internet  services  for  improving  connectivity  in  rural  and  remote  areas  and  if  so,  the  details  of conditions for license,  regulatory compliance, data security measures and its impact on domestic internet providing companies;
- (c) whether the public-private satellite partnership models being proposed by the Government are genuinely aimed at reducing the digital divide or merely intended to benefit a few selected private companies and if so, the details thereof;
- (d) whether the Government proposes to expand these models and if so, the details of policy framework, accountability mechanisms, spectrum usage and security protocols of the said models; and
- (e) the time by when the said details are likely to be made available?

## ANSWER

## MINISTER OF STATE FOR COMMUNICATIONS AND RURAL DEVELOPMENT (DR. PEMMASANI CHANDRA SEKHAR)

- (a) Department of Telecommunications (DoT) grants Unified License (UL) with authorisation of Global Mobile Personal Communication by Satellite (GMPCS) services to an applicant only if it is an Indian company, registered under the Companies Act, 2013, and agrees to comply with all the stipulated terms and conditions of the UL, including security conditions.
- (b) to (e) Department  of  Telecommunications  (DoT)  granted  Unified  License  (UL)  with authorization for Global Mobile Personal Communication  by  Satellite  (GMPCS)  Service, Commercial VSAT CUG service, and Internet Service Provider (ISP) 'A'  service  for  the  entire country (National Area) to Starlink Satellite Communications Private Limited, a company registered under Companies Act, 2013.

The license conditions, inter-alia, include the establishment of earth station gateway(s) in India  for  providing  satellite-based  communication  services,  no  user  traffic  originating  from,  or destined  for  India  is  to  be  routed  through  any  gateway  located  outside  India,  no  copying  and

decryption of the Indian data outside the country, and the Indian user traffic not to be mirrored to any system/server located abroad.

Satellite-based communication services can provide connectivity in rural, underserved and unserved  areas  including  remote  and  mountainous  regions,  which  are  otherwise  difficult  to  be covered through terrestrial media such as optical fiber, microwave, etc. It is also mentioned that as per the License conditions, the licensee will provide satellite-based communication services without any discrimination from any applicant at any place in the service area for the service(s) authorized. This  will  support  in  bridging  the  digital  divide,  addressing  the  last  mile  connectivity  issues  and promoting equitable access to digital services. Further, it is envisaged that with more licensees for providing satellite-based communication services, enhanced competition in this segment will lead to better quality and affordable services.

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