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Bharti Enterprises Claims OneWeb Leads Musk's Starlink in India Approval Race
- •Bharti Enterprises Chairman Sunil Bharti Mittal stated that his company-backed Eutelsat OneWeb is far ahead of Starlink in securing regulatory approvals for satellite internet in India.
- •Mittal noted that OneWeb applied five years ago, its ground network has been ready for three years, and its satellites are already positioned over India.
- •Elon Musk recently alleged that Indian businessmen are creating hurdles for Starlink and questioned the delays, while the government maintained that all companies are treated equally and face standard security checks.
Key Questions Answered
Sunil Bharti Mittal stated that his company-affiliated Eutelsat OneWeb is significantly ahead of Starlink in the race for approval to launch satellite internet services in India, noting that OneWeb applied for necessary approvals about five years ago and has its ground network and satellites positioned and ready.
Elon Musk alleged that certain major businessmen and oligarchs in India are creating hurdles and obstructing Starlink's access to spectrum to maintain their monopoly, specifically mentioning Mukesh Ambani and questioning delays in the market launch.
All three companies have received licenses to operate, but they are currently at the same stage awaiting necessary security clearances and spectrum assignment from the government, which has rejected claims of discrimination.
