Starlink states its India network is fully built and ready, with the Elon Musk-led company now awaiting final government approvals.

Lauren Dreyer, Starlink’s vice president for business operations, gave the update on Wednesday at the India Mobile Congress in New Delhi.

In short, the company says it has done its part and now needs the government to do the same.

On the ground, Starlink has set up 20 gateway sites carrying hundreds of antennas between them.

These are the stations that link its satellites to the internet. Dreyer said the company built its Indian operations around local security rules. Controls sit at every level, and customer data stays inside India.

Two big approvals are still missing. Starlink needs a security clearance and a nod for foreign direct investment.

It already holds authorisation from IN-SPACe and a licence for satellite communication services.

Spectrum must also be sorted out before any operator can sell plans to customers. Starlink is not alone in the queue.

Eutelsat OneWeb and Jio Satellite Communications also hold licences. Starlink has signed memorandums of understanding with Airtel and Jio.

It has also spent five years talking to regulators, industry players and state governments, and Dreyer said those talks helped it understand how Indian communities might use the service.

Her pitch centres on hard-to-reach areas. India already has cheap data, she said, but the last stretch of connectivity is the toughest to cover.

Starlink, which has 11,000 satellites in orbit and serves over 170 countries, says people can connect within minutes. She also pointed to SpaceX’s history with India.

It flew astronaut Shubhanshu Shukla to the International Space Station and back, and it has carried two dedicated missions and 19 rideshare missions for Indian space companies.

Dreyer hopes the approvals will be done by the time of the next Congress. Until then, it cannot begin service.

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