The latest reports about the US threatening to “shut off” StarLink, unless Ukraine allows a lion’s share in its mineral resources in favour of the US should sound an alarm in India- Tighten safeguards against StarLink, but preferably reserve satellite spectrum for defence and other strategic uses in India
To
Dr. Neeraj Mittal
Secretary
Dept of Telecommunications (DOT)
Govt of India
Dear Dr Mittal,
I have come across a news report that refers to how the US has literally threatened Ukraine “
to shut off Starlink if Ukraine won’t sign minerals deal”, which should sound a serious warning to DOT and the government about the way DOT indiscriminately rushed into allowing Elon Musk’s StarLink to enter India’s satellite spectrum space, bypassing the competitive bidding route, going to the extra-ordinary extent of even flouting the apex court’s direction that satellite spectrum should be allotted to private players exclusively through a transparent auction procedure.
The above cited report further says, “Washington first raised the prospect of shutting off Starlink service after Zelensky rejected the deal presented by U.S. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent on Feb. 12, sources said. The deal reportedly sought a 50% stake in Ukraine’s natural resources, including critical minerals, oil, and gas, without offering Ukraine any concrete security guarantees”
In other words, the US government is trying to use StarLinks as a clever to secure several other nationally strategic advantages from Ukraine.
In this connection, I refer to my letters of 17th October and 14th November, 2024 addressed to you and my letter of 19th Decembehr 2024 addressed to the Cabinet Secretary, cautioning the government
(1) not to violate the apex court’s direction on auctioning satellite spectrum,
(2) tread cautiously in allowing Elon Musk’s StarLink to operate in India, as Musk’s other companies are actively collaborating with the US government in defence and other strategic sectors and therefore not to allow foreign agencies in the strategically sensitive domain of satellite spectrum use and
(3) preferably reserve satellite spectrum in India for our own strategic uses such as defence and ISRO’s operations.
Your department has evidently chosen instead to cave into StarLink’s overtures!
Now that there are reoprts of the US government openly leveraging StarLink’s presence in war-stricken Ukraine to extract a lion’s share in that country’s mineral resources, countries like India should be extra-careful in dealing with StarLink.
It is unfortunate that your department had chosen to go out of the way to welcome StarLink with open arms to appropriate precious satellite spectrum against all legal norms, ignoring all statrategic implications.
I am not sure whether StarLink, already permitted to enter India, has agreed to each and every security requirement prescribed for other domestic telecom players. There have been reports that StarLink had demanded exemption from some security clauses that go with licenses and that DOT under duress had agreed to grant such exemptions.
In view of the latest report on how the US seems to be arm-twisting Ukraine, I suggest that DOT reviews the license clauses and tightens restrictions on StarLink and also incorporate adequate safeguards in the license against a Ukraine kind of an eventuality.
It is important that StarLink is not allowed to gain undue dominance in satellite specturum use vis-a-vis other players and that it is not allowed to have the ability of disrupting communications.
At the same time, I would once again strongly urge upon DOT not to allow private players to use satellite spectrum in the first instance and, instead, reserve it exclusively for defence, ISRO’s spece operations and other activities important from India’s national interest point of view.
Regards,
Yours sincerely,
E A S Sarma
Former Secretary to the Government of India
Visakhapatnam
