India mulls hardware security layer for Starlink, foreign satcom operators

India is weighing a hardware device as a control layer between local users and satellite-internet services from Starlink and other overseas providers, for national security, The Economic Times reports.

“All satellite traffic will have to pass through this hardware, likely a small appliance at the subscriber end or at ground stations,” an official said anonymously. The proposal is at the deliberation stage, with public-sector units expected to build it, though private-sector participation is not ruled out. The communications ministry did not respond to queries.

Officials say Starlink’s refusal to comply with Indian regulations — and its reluctance to meet domestic-infrastructure rules — is hindering approval. All satcom operators must meet security conditions for spectrum, the government says, rejecting Starlink’s discrimination claims: it, Eutelsat OneWeb and Jio Satellite share the same stage. The concerns follow Starlink complaints in Iran, Namibia, South Africa and Ukraine, where Volodymyr Zelenskyy accused it of slowing speeds and impeding Ukraine’s conflict with Russia.

“The hardware-enforced sovereign security layer will be built… to tackle any foreign satellite operator that is an untrusted transport carrier,” a second official said. Sources: ET Telecom; Business Today.