Satellite internet connecting remote villages in Meghalaya at dusk.
The Meghalaya government has signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with Elon Musk-led Starlink to pilot satellite communications (satcom) services in the state’s remote areas. The initiative aims to bridge connectivity gaps in healthcare, education, and agriculture.
Under the partnership, the state government will collaborate with Starlink to deploy satellite broadband services. Meghalaya chief minister Conrad Sangma highlighted the importance of connecting remote schools, health centers, and communities, emphasizing the potential for improved healthcare access, learning opportunities, and enhanced livelihoods for rural communities.
The pilot program will assess the reliability of high-speed internet delivery across the state before a wider rollout is considered, according to Economic Times. This initiative follows a letter of intent (LoI) signed with the Gujarat government to enable satellite-based internet connectivity in remote and border areas. Prior to this, Starlink partnered with the Maharashtra government to deploy satcom services for government institutions.
Starlink has received clearance from IN-SPACe to commence operations in India, along with approvals from the telecom department and TRAI. However, commercial services are pending satellite spectrum allocation. The company also requires fresh approval from IN-SPACe to offer direct-to-device (D2D) connectivity in India.
To ensure data security, Indian authorities have mandated local storage of user data and prohibited the use of foreign gateways for routing user traffic. The company is planning to establish 20 earth stations across Noida, Chennai, and Navi Mumbai, with three sites already under construction.
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