Starlink, owned by Elon Musk’s SpaceX, plans to build nine satellite communication ground stations in India and has been allocated temporary spectrum to verify compliance with local security regulations.

According to The Times of India, the stations will be established in Mumbai, Noida, Chandigarh, Hyderabad, Kolkata, and Lucknow.

“The company applied for 600 Gbps capacity for its satellite constellation over India. The spectrum was allocated on a temporary basis without providing commercial services to ensure compliance with Indian security requirements,” a Starlink representative told the publication.

Operation of the ground stations and data storage will be handled exclusively by Indian citizens to prevent unauthorized use of data abroad. Foreign personnel may participate only with special permission from India’s Ministry of Home Affairs.

As previously reported by India’s Minister of Communications Pemmasani Chandra Sekhar, only 2 million users in India will receive Starlink’s global satellite internet services at speeds up to 200 Mbps due to high costs and limited rural coverage.

Indian authorities have been considering Musk’s Starlink proposal for about four years. In December 2021, SpaceX established an Indian subsidiary to provide high-speed mobile satellite broadband, but deployment was delayed due to the lack of a government license. In early July, India’s cabinet granted Starlink a license to operate satellite internet, opening the way for SpaceX to start commercial activity in the country, contingent on compliance with Indian national security laws.

The launch of Starlink will be Musk’s second major project in India, after Tesla opened its first showrooms in the country in July.