Union Telecom Minister Jyotiraditya Scindia yesterday said Elon Musk-owned Starlink is yet to comply with security norms, and a licence for satellite communications services will be issued only after they meet all the requirements for services in India.

The satellite communication services major is in the process of completing all the requirements and will get a licence once they complete the process, the minister added, according to a PTI report from New Delhi.

“We are more than happy to give them (licence) if they (Starlink) comply with all the conditions. You have to look at it from a security perspective, making sure that all security concerns are addressed. When they do that we will be more than happy to give it. Obviously, they are in the process of doing it,” Scindia told reporters in New Delhi.

He was replying to a question on the status of the licence for Starlink. At present, the government has issued a licence to Bharti Group-backed OneWeb and the Jio-SES joint venture Jio Satellite Communications.

The two companies are yet to start their operations as they are waiting for spectrum allocation, for which pricing and rules are under process.

According to sources, the Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (Trai) is likely to finalise its recommendation on proposed rules related to spectrum allocation for satellite communications by December 15.

The government will evaluate Trai’s recommendations and thereafter decide on allocating spectrum to satellite communication companies, which will pave the way for satellite-based broadband services in the country.

Talking about telecom operators’ demand for revenue share with the over-the-top (OTT) communication apps — like WhatsApp, Google Meet, Zoom, etc — the Minister said that he has set up an advisory committee, and interaction has just started.

“Certainly, we will hear their views, and I guess regulator Trai will certainly take a view on that, and they have circulated a paper on that,” Scindia added.