Protecting existing mobile networks is the priority
As nations race to extend connectivity beyond the reach of cell towers, India finds itself in a deliberate pause — listening before it leaps. Apple and Google have counseled the country's telecommunications regulators that the technology for direct-to-device satellite service is not yet ready to be woven into the fabric of everyday handsets, and that the global rules governing the airwaves it would use remain unwritten. India's restraint reflects a broader truth: the most consequential infrastructural decisions are often made not in moments of urgency, but in the patient space between ambition and readiness.
- Apple has drawn a firm line, telling India's DoT it will not modify iPhones to support satellite connectivity — a stance that effectively stalls one path forward before it begins.
- Google's technical inventory reads like a catalogue of friction: batteries that drain too fast, antennas too small, signals too weak, and integration with existing networks too tangled to resolve quickly.
- The global clock is ticking toward the ITU's World Radiocommunication Conference in late 2027, the moment when spectrum bands for satellite D2D service may finally be formally designated.
- While India waits, the United States, Canada, Australia, and parts of Europe have already opened their skies — Starlink and T-Mobile are connecting remote American users to satellites right now.
- India's regulatory body, TRAI, is still asking foundational questions about spectrum sharing, unable to move forward until the international framework clarifies what frequencies are even on the table.
Apple has told India's Department of Telecommunications that it does not want to modify its iPhones to enable direct-to-device satellite connectivity, making clear during informal consultations that protecting the country's existing mobile networks should take precedence. Google and other technology firms joined these early discussions, each arriving at a similar conclusion: the technology is not yet ready for consumer deployment at scale.
The obstacles are concrete. Smartphone batteries cannot sustain satellite connections for long. Handset antennas are too small. Integrating satellite signals with terrestrial networks is technically complex. Signal reliability remains inconsistent. And any workable solution might require the very hardware modifications Apple has said it will not make. Most participants advised India to wait for the technology to mature before allocating spectrum for D2D services.
The clearest milestone on that horizon is the International Telecom Union's World Radiocommunication Conference, scheduled for late 2027 in China. That gathering — held every three to four years — is where spectrum bands for satellite D2D service are expected to be formally identified. Until then, India's own regulatory process is unlikely to advance. TRAI has issued a consultation paper asking whether D2D services should use mobile satellite spectrum or share airwaves with 4G and 5G networks, but the question cannot be answered until the ITU acts.
Elsewhere, the landscape looks different. The United States, Canada, Australia, and several European countries have already adopted rules permitting satellite D2D service to fill gaps in terrestrial coverage. In the US, Starlink and T-Mobile are already connecting remote users directly to satellites. Companies like AST SpaceMobile and Viasat are preparing their own offerings. India, for now, remains in the listening phase — gathering information, weighing technical realities, and waiting for the global framework to solidify before charting its own course.
Apple has told India's Department of Telecommunications it does not want to modify its iPhones to support direct-to-device satellite connectivity. The company made this position clear during informal consultations a few months ago, emphasizing instead that protecting the existing mobile networks that currently serve the country should remain the priority. Google and other technology firms also participated in these early-stage discussions with the DoT, offering their own assessments of what satellite-to-phone service would require.
The consultations were exploratory—an attempt by regulators to understand the technology before drafting formal rules. What emerged from these conversations was a consistent message: while the industry generally supports the development of non-terrestrial technologies like satellite connectivity, significant obstacles stand in the way. Apple highlighted the complexity of cross-border coordination and the need to ensure compliance with countries that have not authorized satellite usage. Google laid out a more technical inventory of the problems: smartphone batteries drain too quickly to sustain satellite connections, antennas are too small to fit on handsets, integrating satellite signals with existing terrestrial networks is complicated, signal strength remains unreliable, and any workable system might require modifications to the phones themselves—the very thing Apple wants to avoid.
These are not abstract engineering challenges. They translate directly into questions about whether satellite connectivity can actually work as a consumer product in the near term. The companies involved seem to have concluded it cannot, at least not without compromises they are unwilling to make. Most stakeholders suggested waiting several years for the technology to mature before India allocates spectrum bands for D2D services.
The timeline for that decision is now becoming clearer. The International Telecom Union, the United Nations agency that governs global radio frequencies, will hold its World Radiocommunication Conference in October-November 2027 in China. That gathering, which occurs every three to four years, is where spectrum bands for direct-to-device satellite service are expected to be formally identified. Until then, India's own regulatory process is unlikely to move forward. The Telecom Regulatory Authority of India has issued a consultation paper asking whether D2D services should use spectrum designated for mobile satellite service or whether they should share airwaves with conventional 4G and 5G networks—a question that cannot be answered until the ITU clarifies what spectrum is actually available.
Meanwhile, other countries have already begun moving. The United States, Canada, Australia, and several European nations have adopted rules allowing satellite D2D service to supplement cellular coverage in areas without terrestrial signals. In America, Elon Musk's Starlink has partnered with the mobile operator T-Mobile to offer this service, allowing phones to connect directly to Starlink satellites in remote regions. Other satellite companies like AST SpaceMobile and Viasat are preparing their own D2D offerings. India, by contrast, remains in the information-gathering phase—listening to what companies like Apple and Google think, understanding the technical barriers, and waiting for the global regulatory framework to take shape before committing to a domestic path forward.
Citas Notables
Most stakeholders favor development of non-terrestrial technologies like D2D connectivity, but have highlighted current challenges restraining smartphone use through satellite— Government official familiar with DoT consultations
La Conversación del Hearth Otra perspectiva de la historia
Why would Apple care so much about not modifying iPhones for this? It seems like a feature people would want.
Apple's concern isn't really about the feature itself. It's about the cost and complexity of maintaining two different hardware versions—one for markets with satellite D2D and one without. And there's a deeper issue: if you modify the phone, you have to recertify it in every country where you sell it. That's expensive and slow.
So this is about economics, not technology?
It's both. The technology isn't ready anyway—batteries can't handle it, antennas don't fit. But even if it were ready tomorrow, Apple would still resist because the business case doesn't work yet. Why spend millions modifying phones for a service that might not exist for years?
What does India actually need to do right now?
Mostly wait. The real decision happens at the ITU conference in 2027. Until then, India can't even decide which spectrum to use because the ITU hasn't said what spectrum is available. So the DoT is doing the sensible thing—talking to companies, understanding the problems, getting ready for when the global framework exists.
And what happens after 2027?
Then the real work begins. India will have to write regulations, decide how to allocate spectrum, figure out whether satellite D2D competes with or complements terrestrial networks. By then, the technology will probably be more mature too. Companies like Starlink are already proving it works in the US. India won't want to be left behind.