Starlink will be refunding money it had collected on pre-orders from its Indian users as per an email sent by the company, Gadgets 360 reported. The company informed users that it has been directed by the Department of Telecommunications (DoT) to refund pre-orders until it receives a licence, the report added. The email also cited the fact that the timeline for receiving licences to operate in India was “currently unknown” and that there were “several issues” that must be resolved within the licensing framework to allow the company to operate Starlink in India, according to Gadgets 360. Starlink is the satellite internet division of SpaceX which is owned by Elon Musk. It leverages small satellites, launched into space to form a low-Earth orbiting (LEO) network, which provides low-latency broadband internet services around the world, focusing on remote areas that are difficult to reach via land. The company had received over 5,000 pre-orders from India, the tech website revealed. The move implies that Starlink will not be providing its services anytime soon, leaving rural areas without a terrestrial internet connection in the dark. Starlink’s run-ins with the DoT The company was flagged by the DoT for selling internet services in India without having the relevant licence in November last year. “Given the fact that Starlink is not a licensee, the public is advised not to subscribe to Starlink services being advertised,” the DoT said in a press release on November 26. “For rendering satellite based services in India, requisite license(s) from…
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Starlink refunds amounts received from Indian customers amid regulatory uncertainty
The move to use satellites for providing broadband services in India is likely to be delayed inordinately with this announcement.
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