NEW DELHI, June 25 (PTI): Elon Musk wants his Starlink to beam down wireless internet in India from satellites orbiting the earth, but the licensing regime his group favours has put him at odds with Mukesh Ambani’s Reliance. After meeting Prime Minister Narendra Modi in New York last week, Musk on June 21 said he was keen to launch Starlink in India that “can be incredibly helpful” in bringing the internet to remote villages that lack on-ground infrastructure.
But Starlink wants India to just assign a license for the service and not insist on auctioning the signal-carrying spectrum or airwaves. This stand finds Musk on the side of Tatas, Sunil Bharti Mittal’s firm, and Amazon, who too prefer the same route.
Related Posts:
But Ambani’s Reliance says there must be an auction of spectrum for foreign satellite service providers to offer voice and data services to provide a level playing field to traditional telecom players who offer the same services using airwaves bought in government auctions.
“India’s space-based communication services (SS) spectrum decision is key. Mobile spectrum has been auctioned since 2010 with the government’s cumulative sale of USD 77 billion and several players are keen on SS,” brokerage CLSA said in a note on ‘Satellite Spectrum Battle Ahead’.
Based on comments provided by various companies to the sector regulator TRAI’s consultations on the issue, CLSA said several players, including Starlink, are keen on India SS.
Amazon’s Kuiper, Tata, Bharti Airtel-backed OneWeb, and Larsen & Toubro are against the auction while Reliance Jio and Vodafone-Idea support an India SS auction, it said.
Sources said some in the government believe an auction is the best route as it would get the foreign companies to commit investment in the country. Also, it will allow some kind of regulation over content that can be streamed on OTT platforms using the SS.
At a global level, ITU manages spectrum, satellite orbit resources and coordinates the planning of new satellite networks to ensure interference-free SS. ITU coordinates orbit slots and frequency bands, but India will assign spectrum to licensees for gateway links to satellites and user links (terminal and satellite).
Kerala-based startup GO EC Autotech announces installation of 1,000 EV charging stations across India
GO EC Autotech Pvt Limited, a Kochi based start-up in the electric vehicle (EV) charging landscape, is planning to set up 1,000 superfast charging stations this year.
The company is planning to invest around ₹320 crore for developing the charging infrastructure. It has already established 103 charging stations.
“GO EC Autotech’s plan is to become a leading EV charging infrastructure provider across national and State highways along with Tier-2 and Tier-3 cities and rural areas,” PG Ramnath, CEO & ED, GO EC Autotech, said.
The company’s aim is to serve the needs of customers residing in remote locations, making it easier for them to adopt electric vehicles. This approach aligns with the goal of reaching every nook and corner of the country, offering widespread access to charging infrastructure, he told reporters.
GO EC has partnered with major restaurants and shopping malls.
“All shopping malls and restaurants in the country will be equipped with GO EC’s cutting-edge super charging stations, providing convenient access to EV owners,” he added.
“Our mission is to provide sustainable charging solutions that empower electric vehicle users and accelerate the transition to a greener future. A notable hurdle faced by electric vehicle owners is the absence of sufficient charging infrastructure, making long-distance travel a daunting task. Addressing this issue, the company has embraced the mission of establishing charging stations across the nation,” he added.
