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India’s ambition to bring satellite based direct-to-device (D2D) connectivity to everyday smartphones has hit a significant early obstacle. Apple and Google, whose operating systems power virtually every smartphone in the country, have raised concerns with the Department of Telecommunications over India’s proposed D2D framework. The development underscores the technical and regulatory complexity surrounding a technology that holds transformative potential for the country’s most underserved regions.
What Is D2D and Why Does India Need It?
Direct-to-device technology enables smartphones to connect directly to low earth orbit satellites, entirely bypassing conventional mobile towers. For a country as geographically diverse as India, this capability carries considerable strategic value. Remote hillside communities, coastal zones, border territories, and disaster-prone regions — areas where terrestrial infrastructure is either absent or vulnerable — stand to benefit from reliable satellite backed communication. When floods, earthquakes, cyclones, or landslides render ground networks inoperable, D2D can sustain emergency communication links that would otherwise be severed entirely.
Where Apple and Google Stand
Apple’s primary concern centres on regulatory and standards alignment. The company has cautioned the DoT against mandating hardware modifications or new device certifications for existing smartphones. It has also flagged cross border regulatory complications in regions where satellite services are not yet authorised. More significantly, Apple has argued that India should defer its framework until the International Telecommunication Union concludes its global spectrum deliberations, scheduled for a conference in late 2027. Proceeding ahead of that milestone, Apple contends, risks creating a domestic framework misaligned with international norms.
Google’s objections are rooted in engineering realities. The company has highlighted battery drain caused by satellite communication, antenna size constraints within compact devices, weak signal reception, and the challenge of integrating satellite systems with existing 4G and 5G infrastructure. Both companies have also sought greater regulatory clarity on how satellite-based emergency messaging will function within India’s legal and operational environment.
The Regulatory Landscape
India presently lacks a defined regulatory structure for D2D connectivity. The Telecom Regulatory Authority of India released a consultation paper on satellite communication network authorisation and spectrum assignment on 8 April 2026, signalling that formal policy development is underway but far from concluded. Spectrum band selection and operational guidelines remain under active deliberation.
Meanwhile, markets such as the United States and Canada are already piloting commercial D2D services, including Starlink’s partnership with T-Mobile. India’s considerably denser telecom market and its policy imperative to protect established terrestrial operators introduce layers of complexity absent in those contexts.
Looking Ahead
The concerns raised by Apple and Google do not foreclose India’s D2D ambitions, but they introduce a realistic recalibration of timelines and expectations. A framework built in alignment with global standards, informed by thorough technical consultation, and sensitive to the needs of existing telecom infrastructure will serve India’s connectivity goals more effectively than a hastily assembled one. The path is longer than anticipated — but navigating it carefully remains the only prudent course.
