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Starlink sets up 20 gateway sites in India as the satellite broadband pitch continues
വാർത്തയിൽ എന്തുകൊണ്ട്?
20 gateway sites, yet no service: the satcom spectrum and security-clearance link GS3 Space answers need
Starlink readies ground infrastructure while approvals await security clearances.
Why it matters: factual, Prelims-type
What you need to know
2 മിനിറ്റ്
Starlink has set up 20 gateway sites in India, each with hundreds of antennas, as ground infrastructure for satellite communications.
A SpaceX executive said she hoped service would be operational in India by next year, while approvals remain pending against security requirements set by the Union government.
ഉറവിടങ്ങൾ: Topper IAS editorial (PIB / The Hindu / Indian Express)
പ്രധാന വസ്തുതകൾ
Remember these
- Starlink has set up 20 gateway sites in India, each with hundreds of antennas.
- Gateways are ground stations that link satellites to the terrestrial internet network.
- A SpaceX executive hopes service will be operational in India by next year.
- Approvals are pending against security requirements set by the Union government.
- Starlink is a low-earth-orbit (LEO) satellite constellation operated by SpaceX.
പ്രിലിംസ് · മെയിൻസ്
How the exam will ask it
പ്രിലിംസ്
- Satellite communication (satcom) services in India need licences from the Department of Telecommunications, with orbital and technical support from IN-SPACe.
- LEO satellites orbit at much lower altitudes than geostationary satellites, giving lower latency for broadband.
- A gateway station connects user terminals, through the satellite, to the internet backbone and must meet national security conditions.
മെയിൻസ്
GS3 (Science & Technology, Space; Communications): satellite broadband can extend connectivity to remote areas, but it requires spectrum assignment, licensing and security compliance such as gateway location and data-handling rules. The implication is a trade-off between digital inclusion and national security. The way forward is transparent spectrum pricing, clear security norms and a level playing field with terrestrial and domestic operators.
Quick recall
Answer before you reveal
The Jal Jeevan Mission, which aims to provide a Functional Household Tap Connection to every rural household, was launched in:
- 2019
- 2015
- 2017
- 2021
ഉത്തരം കാണിക്കൂ
ഉത്തരം: A — Correct: 2019 — The Mission was announced in August 2019 and is run by the Ministry of Jal Shakti. • 2015 — wrong: 2015 is when AMRUT, an urban water mission, was launched, not the rural tap-water mission. • 2017 — wrong: 2017 precedes the Mission; household tap connections were then handled by earlier rural water programmes. • 2021 — wrong: 2021 saw the launch of Jal Jeevan Mission (Urban), not of the original rural mission.
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