Elon Musk’s satellite-based internet provider, Starlink, is set to receive a Global Mobile Personal Communication by Satellite (GMPCS) licence from the Indian government by next month, the Financial Express has reported.

After this, Starlink will join Bharti’s OneWeb and Reliance’s Jio Satellite to become the third player in India’s satellite-based internet sector.

Upon receiving the licence, Starlink will be eligible for spectrum allocation, paving the way for the company to commence its satellite broadband services.

SpaceX, which operates Starlink, has complied with all the regulatory processes, like providing necessary information with regard to the location of satellites, data transfer and storage, and the plan for providing broadband services in India, among other things; the Financial Express has quoted its sources as saying.

A GMPCS licence is required to offer voice and data services through satellite. The licence is issued for a period of 20 years, and this allows the companies to offer satellite communication services in licenced service areas. However, with the introduction of the space policy recently, the companies can also seek approval from In-SPACe for providing such services.