New Delhi: India has placed an important condition regarding Starlink's entry into India. The central government has asked Elon Musk's satellite venture Starlink to set up a control center in India so that telecommunication services can be suspended or shut down in sensitive and disturbed areas whenever necessary to maintain law and order.
Top sources told the Times of India that apart from this, the security establishment has given specified mandates to allow call interception through official channels on behalf of law enforcement agencies. The move comes at a time when Starlink's application for satellite communication license is in the last stage. In this, the company is entering into agreements with Reliance Jio and Airtel for marketing, deployment and network expansion.
Why is the control center important?
A control center is important because a sudden change in the law and order situation in any part of the country may lead to immediate suspension and shutdown of communication services, including those provided through satellite. We cannot be expected to knock on their (Starlink's) doors or contact their headquarters in the US whenever such a need arises. A source told TOI, the company has assured the government that it is looking into the matter.
What does the Telecom Law say?
The Telecom Law has provisions that allow the central or state government to take 'temporary possession' of any telecom service or network from an authorized entity in the interest of public emergency or public safety, including disaster management. Apart from this, there are also provisions for internet shutdown. On the issue of interception, sources clarified that "this is nothing new" and it is also mandatory for existing terrestrial networks run by companies like Jio, Airtel and Vodafone Idea.
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