Eutelsat subsidiary OneWeb announced on Tuesday that it has obtained approval from India's space regulator to launch commercial satellite broadband services in the country.
With this development, Eutelsat OneWeb surpasses SpaceX's Starlink and Reliance's JioSpaceFiber to become the first company granted permission by the nodal agency to offer satellite broadband services in the second-largest internet user market in the world.
While the launch is contingent on spectrum allocation by the Indian government, which is pending, Eutelsat OneWeb remains ready to deploy upon receiving final authorization for commercial services, per a report published by Yahoo! News.
India's Space Industry Growth Continues
Eutelsat OneWeb's approval comes amid a growing emphasis on the development of India's space industry by Prime Minister Modi's government, particularly as the country heads toward elections next year. The Indian National Space Promotion and Authorization Centre granted a five-year validity for the approval of Eutelsat OneWeb's satellite broadband services constellation.
Eutelsat OneWeb is prepared to have a significant impact on India's space industry thanks to support from Indian billionaire Sunil Bharti Mittal's Bharti Enterprises.
The company has already received licenses from the Indian telecom ministry and the Department of Telecommunications to provide broadband services through satellite connectivity, with additional approval for gateway operations in Gujarat and Tamil Nadu, according to TechCrunch.
India's space industry has experienced significant growth, with the number of space startups increasing from 21 to 47 in the year following the country's allowance of private launches in 2020. Investors have shown increased interest, pouring $119 million into Indian space startups in 2022, compared to a total of $38 million in the years leading up to 2017.
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OneWeb Strengthen's Market Presence
The existing licenses, gateway approvals, and partnership with the Indian Space Research Organization (ISRO) to launch 36 satellites further solidify Eutelsat OneWeb's presence in the Indian market.
While the $400 billion global commercial space market is expected to reach $1 billion by 2030, India is aiming for a bigger share by 2040, targeting the market on a $40 billion portion of the country.
Cyril Dujardin, Co-General Manager of Connectivity, Eutelsat Group, stressed the importance of this approval in bridging global connectivity gaps and expressed readiness to provide essential services to businesses in India, including the entire Low Earth Orbit (LEO) constellation.
"Bridging the connectivity gap around the world requires collaboration not only across businesses but also with governments and regulators. We are pleased to have received these approvals from the space regulator that bring the country a significant step closer to providing high-speed connectivity to even the most remote locations," the company official noted, as quoted by Business Standard.
Elon Musk's Starlink and Ambani's Reliance clash over India's satellite broadband spectrum allocation, according to a Reuters report.
Amazon's Project Kuiper has been in negotiations with Indian authorities about offering satellite internet services, as the Economic Times reported last month.
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