Major Setback for Starlink in India: Airtel's OneWeb gets first approval for Satellite Broadband Services

OneWeb India, a subsidiary of the Bharti Group and a member of the Eutelsat Group, has recently announced that it has obtained approval from IN-SPACe, the Government of India's agency responsible for regulating and authorizing space activities, to launch Eutelsat OneWeb's satellite broadband services in India.

Oneweb gets Approval for Satellite internet Services in India

Revolutionizing Internet Connectivity:

This marks the first time that any organization has received such authorization. Eutelsat OneWeb has stated that it will be prepared to offer commercial connectivity services once the government grants the necessary spectrum allocation. OneWeb India already possesses the required licenses from the Department of Telecommunications to provide broadband services utilizing satellite connectivity.

Additionally, the company has received preliminary approval to establish and operate two gateways in Gujarat and Tamil Nadu. These gateways will play a crucial role in delivering high-speed and low-latency internet connectivity to customers throughout India once the services are launched.

It is the first organization to receive authorization from the nodal agency to offer satellite broadband services in the world's second-largest internet user market, surpassing SpaceX's Starlink and Reliance's JioSpaceFiber. However, the launch is contingent upon spectrum allocation by the Indian government, which is yet to occur.

Earlier this month, OneWeb and JioSpaceFiber were granted licenses by the Indian telecom ministry, Department of Telecommunications, to provide broadband services through satellite connectivity in the country.

About the Company:

Eutelsat OneWeb, a subsidiary of the Eutelsat Group, specializes in delivering broadband satellite Internet services through its operations in low Earth orbit (LEO). The company is headquartered in London and additionally also operates a satellite manufacturing facility, Airbus OneWeb Satellites, in Florida through a joint venture with Airbus Defence and Space. As of 2021, the major shareholders of Eutelsat OneWeb include Bharti Global, a multinational company based in India, the French satellite service provider Eutelsat, and the Government of the United Kingdom. SoftBank, a Japanese company, holds an equity holding of 12%.

Bharti Airtel, the second-largest wireless network provider in India, is relying on OneWeb's satellite-based internet to reduce data costs in the country. With OneWeb's low-earth orbit (LEO) constellation already operational, it is expected to achieve global coverage, including oceans and mountains.

It is believed that satellite connections will complement terrestrial networks, and in the medium-term, every smartphone will have built-in satellite connectivity, enabling operators to lower the cost per gigabyte.

Eye on India's Vast Internet Market:

Reliance, similar to Eutelsat OneWeb, is enthusiastic about offering its satellite-driven broadband services in the most densely populated nation on the planet. The company recently demonstrated its services and asserted that they would be accessible at highly reasonable rates to compete with rivals and cater to the masses.

However, both Jio and OneWeb have not revealed the exact pricing details for their satellite-based broadband internet services.

SpaceX's Starlink  and Amazon's Project Kuiper are also eyeing India's vast internet user base and are vying to launch their satellite broadband services in India, joining the race alongside other competitors. However, they faced a setback and was not granted necessary approvals.

Satellite companies are eagerly awaiting government approval to commence their satellite-based broadband services in the country. But main contentious point is that while satellite broadband providers are requesting administrative allotment to initiate their services, telecommunication companies are advocating for spectrum auctions.