Globalstar, the provider of emergency SOS services for Apple devices, is planning to apply for a license to offer satellite communication (satcom) services in India. The company expressed its intention to establish a wholly-owned subsidiary in India and will seek a GMPCS (Global Mobile Personal Communication by Satellite) authorization. In a submission to the Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI), Globalstar emphasized that they hope no new or burdensome requirements will be imposed on the GMPCS authorized entity due to the introduction of a new satellite earth station gateway license.
This submission, filed on July 31, was in response to a consultation paper issued by TRAI regarding the “framework for service authorizations to be granted under the Telecommunications Act, 2023.” For context, the GMPCS license is the initial step toward launching satcom services in India. Applicants must also obtain authorization from the Department of Telecommunications (DoT) and the Indian National Space Promotion & Authorisation Centre (IN-SPACe) before commencing operations in the country.
Globalstar also announced plans to establish land earth station gateways in India, identifying the country as the “single largest market that Globalstar has been previously unable to enter.” The company expressed hope that the TRAI consultation will lead to regulatory reforms that facilitate its entry into the Indian market.
This marks the first time that Globalstar has publicly outlined its plans to enter India. Notably, reports surfaced in January that the company had approached the DoT to seek approval for providing its services in the country.
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Globalstar’s move is part of its broader global strategy to establish a direct presence and ensure regulatory compliance in multiple countries. The company highlighted that its low earth orbit (LEO) satellite system offers “near global coverage,” including India. Currently, Globalstar operates a global network of 28 gateway earth stations across 18 countries, serving 780,000 customers in over 120 countries worldwide.
With this development, Globalstar joins a growing list of global companies, including Elon Musk’s Starlink and Amazon-backed Project Kuiper, seeking authorization to offer satellite communication services in India. The competition for a share of the emerging satcom market in India has also attracted interest from Indian conglomerates. So far, only two entities—Bharti Group-backed Eutelsat OneWeb and Reliance-owned Orbit Connect India—have received the GMPCS license and authorization from IN-SPACe.
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Eutelsat OneWeb is a joint venture between Bharti Enterprises and French satellite operator Eutelsat, while Orbit Connect India is a collaboration between Jio Platforms and Luxembourg-based satcom firm SES. In contrast, both Starlink and Project Kuiper are still awaiting GMPCS permits and landing rights approvals from IN-SPACe. The competition in the satcom space is driven by the potential to deliver internet services to 1.2 billion Indians by 2025-26.
