India must have control over satellite kill switch: Sunil Bharti Mittal

Bharti Enterprises chairman Sunil Bharti Mittal has stated that it is imperative for India to have its own control over the 'kill switch' of satellite communication. In a conversation with PTI, Mittal said that this kill switch should be on Indian soil and India must have control over the destiny of its own space. He raised this critical issue without naming any specific company.

A 'kill switch' in a satellite network refers to the capability to cut, limit, or obstruct the satellite network service for a specific terminal, region, or an entire country through the operator's control system and ground gateway. In satellite broadband, user terminals connect to the satellite, which sends traffic to ground stations and subsequently to the internet. Therefore, the person operating this control and gateway system can, in principle, disable users or redirect their data elsewhere.

For governments, this is a security tool. During conflicts, security threats, or to comply with legal orders, it will allow for the rapid shutdown of services, and will also permit the monitoring and interception of traffic. If this switch is held by a foreign operator or is located abroad, a country's military, emergency, and civilian users could lose connectivity due to a decision made elsewhere. If this power is held by the government, it can be used to cut access during national emergencies or for strategic reasons.

Citing the example of Ukraine, Mittal stated that if Ukraine is using Starlink, it is now also using OneWeb. Last month, Ukraine accused Elon Musk's SpaceX of weakening the country's ability to defend itself by slowing down connectivity and disrupting military operations. Due to these restrictions, some Ukrainian strikes and interceptor drones became almost useless.

Mittal said that war is now moving into space. He added that whether it is drones, cyber issues, or guided missiles, everything is to be operated from space. Therefore, every country must have control over its own security and India needs to create security guardrails for it. He emphasised that India should not rely on just one country or one company and there should be various players. For India, the security of devices and the monitoring of communication arriving on the ground must be ensured, and everything should be routed through India.

Mittal mentioned that OneWeb's services are currently operational in India and the government occasionally uses their terminals for emergency services. Giving an example, he said that economic advisor Sanjiv Sanyal used a terminal during an Oman boat trip and was able to stream throughout the entire journey. Mittal further stated that they are the first company to receive a license from the government and they are now merely waiting for a signal from the government.

Currently, three companies—Jio, OneWeb, and Starlink—hold satellite communication licences in India. The government has stated that all three operators have temporary spectrum and are at the same stage, but the final launch is subject to security clearance. Discussing spectrum, Mittal said that satellite spectrum is shared.

Sunil Bharti Mittal is the founder and chairman of Bharti Enterprises. He founded Bharti Airtel and is known as a leading industrialist in the telecom sector.