After Mukesh Ambani, India’s Other Telecom Billionaire Targets Elon Musk
India's second-largest telecom billionaire Sunil Mittal has set a condition for Elon Musk's Starlink: the service can operate in India only if the 'kill switch' remains under local control.
Last month, Musk mocked Ambani as India's real boss for keeping out Starlink, SpaceX's satellite internet service. Now, Mittal has added his voice to the opposition, telling NDTV on November 13 that Musk seems impatient and frustrated. His group backs OneWeb, a Starlink rival still awaiting approval.
Mittal clarified that Starlink selling in India is all right, but emphasized that control must remain local. The kill switch has to be in India. The control has to be in India, he stated. A kill switch refers to the power to slow or shut down a network.
Ukraine precedent
The demand follows concerns about Starlink's military application in Ukraine, where Starshield, SpaceX's military version, was slowed from October 14 to 24. Musk explained that the decision was made by US President Donald Trump, as Starshield systems are owned and controlled by the US government.
Starshield systems are owned and controlled by the US government. Any limits on speed or usage are decided by the US military and ultimately POTUS. Starlink is a commercial service owned and controlled by SpaceX.
Technical concerns
Starlink's design poses specific challenges for India. The satellites pass data to each other by laser, allowing traffic to skip Indian ground stations. OneWeb lacks such links, according to Mittal. India's security rules conflict with this laser architecture, Tech Insider reported.
The entry of Starlink would directly impact Ambani's Jio Platforms, which holds 42.6% of fixed lines and 77.5% of 5G home wireless in India. Until Starlink is approved, it cannot sell a single dish against either service. Jio Platforms recently listed at ₹1,119 ($11.68) per share in India's largest IPO and traded near ₹1,400 on November 13.
Market skepticism
Mittal has expressed doubts about Starlink's demand in India. Indians get 5G almost anywhere for about $3 a month, so why pay ten times more for satellite? he questioned in October. He also joked he would be happy to win approval a few days before Musk.
India's Cabinet must still set the spectrum fee, and the Home Ministry must clear each operator before any satellite internet service can launch in the country. Until then, no sales can occur.
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