Eutelsat OneWeb, the low-Earth-orbit broadband arm of the Franco-British satellite operator Eutelsat, is still waiting on Indian government clearances before it can start selling services there, Bharti Enterprises chairman Sunil Bharti Mittal said on the sidelines of the India Mobile Congress (IMC) 2026 in remarks reported on 9 October. Bharti Enterprises is the largest shareholder in the merged Eutelsat group, which combined France’s Eutelsat with the UK’s OneWeb.
“We’re waiting for our own approvals,” Mittal said, according to Fortune India, adding that services could begin “hopefully soon”.
Key facts
- OneWeb, Starlink and Reliance Jio’s Jio Satcom all hold Indian satcom licences but need security clearances and spectrum assignment before commercial launch, Fortune India reports.
- India’s telecom ministry called its framework “fair and non-discriminatory” and rejected suggestions of selective treatment as “baseless and misconceived”, per Fortune India.
- Eutelsat ordered 229 more LEO satellites from Airbus for €1 billion ($1.16 billion), on top of 440 ordered in 2024 and 2025, Reuters reported on 10 September.
- Banglalink planned to launch Starlink Direct-to-Cell in Bangladesh on 4 October 2026 after regulatory approval, Telecom Lead reported.
- NuRAN Wireless is trialling Starlink as backhaul for a rural mobile site in Nigeria, according to Telecom Lead.
Why it matters
Reuters describes Eutelsat as operating the only low-Earth-orbit satellite network outside Starlink, which is why the French and British governments regard it as strategically important for secure communications and broadband. The India delay therefore holds back the main licensed alternative in one of the world’s largest markets at the same time as SpaceX’s service is stuck in the same queue.
For readers in Africa, the concrete development in this batch of news is not retail pricing but wholesale plumbing: operators are starting to buy LEO capacity as a network input, including on a rural Nigerian mobile site.
The India queue
Rediff reports that Mittal was responding to questions about allegations by Elon Musk, founder of SpaceX and its Starlink broadband service, posted late on a Wednesday on X, that Starlink’s entry into India was being blocked by “certain oligarchs”. Rediff says the claim set off an online debate, with some arguing satellite broadband would serve only the remotest parts of the country while terrestrial networks already cover most regions.
Fortune India reports that the telecom ministry said a security assessment is under way for all three licensees, after which spectrum assignment can proceed. Minister of State for Communications Chandra Sekhar Pemmasani said licences and provisional spectrum have been issued and the matter now sits with the Ministry of Home Affairs for security clearance. Separately, India has been moving towards a satcom spectrum pricing decision.
Eutelsat’s €1 billion satellite order
Eutelsat said on 10 September it will replenish and expand OneWeb through 2034 after signing with Airbus for 229 additional LEO satellites, Reuters reported. Deliveries of the earlier 440-satellite orders were expected to begin in the fourth quarter. Reuters said the company raised roughly €5 billion to absorb financial strain from its $3.4 billion merger with OneWeb, and that the new order extends a roadmap previously set at about €2 billion for 440 satellites by 2030.
OneWeb has more than 600 satellites today, Reuters said, with chief executive Jean-François Fallacher telling the agency in March that the fleet was expected to exceed 1,000 “very soon”. Starlink has more than 11,000 in orbit; Reuters attributes the gap to OneWeb’s higher orbital altitude and its focus on government, enterprise and telecom customers. The 229 satellites are meant to maintain service until IRIS², the EU’s planned 348-satellite secure constellation, is deployed around the end of the decade. Eutelsat, itself a SpaceX customer, also booked two Ariane launches for OneWeb satellites in 2027 and 2028, Reuters said. Several other challengers are building out large constellations.
Operators are wiring LEO into their own networks
Telecom Lead reported on 24 September that Portuguese operator MEO signed an agreement with Eutelsat to integrate OneWeb LEO connectivity with its fibre and 5G infrastructure, targeting enterprises, municipalities, government bodies and critical-infrastructure operators that need communications when terrestrial networks go down. MEO already hosts Eutelsat ground infrastructure for both GEO satellites and OneWeb. Financial terms were not disclosed.
In Bangladesh, Banglalink said it would introduce Starlink Direct-to-Cell on 4 October 2026 after approval from the Bangladesh Telecommunication Regulatory Commission, making Bangladesh the first South Asian country with the service, per Telecom Lead. The report said the service targets coastal waters, remote regions and disaster-hit areas, connecting ordinary handsets via SpaceX satellites when terrestrial mobile infrastructure is unavailable.
Nigeria pilot
NuRAN Wireless, which builds mobile infrastructure for rural and underserved markets, is preparing its first integration of Starlink as backhaul for a rural mobile site in Nigeria with partner Infratel, Telecom Lead reported. The pilot will assess capacity, speed, reliability, integration and commercial economics. NuRAN has no direct agreement with SpaceX and will obtain capacity through third parties. The outlet said attractive economics could let rural operators activate remote sites faster, echoing Nigeria’s rural tower rollouts leaning on Starlink links.
Telecom Lead also reported that Amazon won a Vietnamese licence for a nationwide private satellite telecoms network under Amazon Kuiper Vietnam, with the company’s Amazon Leo constellation planned at more than 3,200 satellites.
Frequently Asked Questions
Why can’t Starlink, OneWeb and Jio Satcom start selling in India if they already hold licences?
Fortune India reports that all three hold satellite communication licences but still need security clearances and spectrum assignment before commercial operations. Minister of State for Communications Chandra Sekhar Pemmasani said the Department of Telecom has issued licences and provisional spectrum, and the matter is pending with the Ministry of Home Affairs for security clearance. He said it “has nothing to do with one company”, per Fortune India.
How many satellites does OneWeb have compared with Starlink?
Reuters reported that OneWeb currently comprises more than 600 satellites, while Starlink has more than 11,000 in orbit. Reuters said OneWeb needs far fewer because its satellites fly at a higher altitude and the company targets government, enterprise and telecom customers rather than mass-market consumers.
What is IRIS² and how does it relate to Eutelsat’s new satellite order?
IRIS² is the European Union’s planned secure communications constellation of 348 satellites, expected to enter service around the end of the decade, according to Reuters. Reuters said Eutelsat’s 229 additional satellites are intended to keep OneWeb in service until IRIS² is commercially deployed.
Did Amazon get approval for its own satellite network in Vietnam?
Yes. Telecom Lead reported that Amazon received a Vietnamese licence allowing Amazon Kuiper Vietnam to build a nationwide private satellite telecommunications network, connect its LEO constellation to local ground infrastructure and test locally manufactured user terminals. The same report said Vietnam has separately authorised a five-year Starlink pilot running through January 2031, capped at 600,000 subscribers.
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