Starlink India is not allowed to sell pre-bookings anymore. The company had started selling pre-bookings for $99 or approximately Rs 7500 last year. SpaceX owned Starlink needs to get regulatory approvals and license to sell services in India before it can sell pre-bookings. According to an ET Telecom report, the Department of Telecommunications (DoT) has asked the company to comply with the Indian regulatory framework and stop taking new pre-bookings with immediate effect.
Starlink Still Taking Pre-Bookings Despite DoT Warning
Starlink’s website is still selling pre-bookings in India despite the warning from the DoT. The company’s website still says that services in India will start in 2022 and that the availability is subject to regulatory approval. DoT has already asked the customers in India not to buy services from the company before it is issued a license for the same. This is a big blow to Elon Musk’s plans for selling satellite broadband services in India. The key challenge for Starlink in India, along with every other nation around the globe, will be to acquire regulatory approvals for services. It will involve a lot of costs and time. There is no uniform license to offer services across the globe. Further, there’s no uniform way either to get necessary approvals. Every country/region has a set of rules that Starlink will have to adhere to before it can start selling commercial products/services. It is worth noting that Starlink has already sold more than 5,000 pre-bookings in India. The company had issued an apology email a few days back to people who had bought the pre-booking for delaying the delivery of Starlink. Sanjay Bhargava, India head for Starlink, had already shared on his LinkedIn that the company is hiring. Starlink India was hiring for two particular job posts, and Bhargava said that there would be more jobs available once the company gets the necessary regulatory approvals.
