Overview

• The Department of Telecommunications has amended the Unified Licence and GMPCS authorization to enforce stringent security measures for satellite communication providers.
• Operators must implement geo-fencing to restrict satellite network access to within India's borders and comply with lawful interception and monitoring requirements.
• Data localization rules require all user data and call logs to be stored within India and accessible by the Telecom Security Operation Centre.
• Providers must integrate NaviC, India's satellite navigation system, into user terminals by 2029 and source at least 20% of their ground equipment domestically.
• The new framework applies uniformly to licensed operators like OneWeb and Jio, as well as awaiting entrants such as Starlink, Kuiper, and Globalstar.