Advocacy group in India calls for criminal prosecution of Musk and Starlink
A non-profit advocacy group in India, dubbed Telecom Watchdog, has demanded that the Indian government prosecute Elon Musk and Starlink because it asks for and gets $100 deposits from customers without guaranteeing a specific delivery date for its Starlink internet service.
The organisation further asked the telecom regulator to take effective steps to ensure refund with interest, and reprimand the telecom department (DoT) officials of “inaction” on the prevailing issue. [It also] said that the firm was cheating consumers by accepting pre-orders with a deposit of Rs 7,500 ($100) for yet-to-be-launched service.
It is unclear who funds Telecom Watchdog. I would not be surprised if it is backed by those in India who have also have vested interest in SpaceX’s chief competitor, OneWeb. The Indian company, Bharti Enterprises Ltd, has invested $500 million to OneWeb, which plans to initiate service to India next year. Starlink poses a serious financial threat to that roll-out.
On Christmas Eve 1968 three Americans became the first humans to visit another world. What they did to celebrate was unexpected and profound, and will be remembered throughout all human history. Genesis: the Story of Apollo 8, Robert Zimmerman's classic history of humanity's first journey to another world, tells that story, and it is now available as both an ebook and an audiobook, both with a foreword by Valerie Anders and a new introduction by Robert Zimmerman.
The print edition can be purchased at Amazon or from any other book seller. If you want an autographed copy the price is $60 for the hardback and $45 for the paperback, plus $8 shipping for each. Go here for purchasing details. The ebook is available everywhere for $5.99 (before discount) at amazon, or direct from my ebook publisher, ebookit. If you buy it from ebookit you don't support the big tech companies and the author gets a bigger cut much sooner.
The audiobook is also available at all these vendors, and is also free with a 30-day trial membership to Audible.
"Not simply about one mission, [Genesis] is also the history of America's quest for the moon... Zimmerman has done a masterful job of tying disparate events together into a solid account of one of America's greatest human triumphs."--San Antonio Express-News
A non-profit advocacy group in India, dubbed Telecom Watchdog, has demanded that the Indian government prosecute Elon Musk and Starlink because it asks for and gets $100 deposits from customers without guaranteeing a specific delivery date for its Starlink internet service.
The organisation further asked the telecom regulator to take effective steps to ensure refund with interest, and reprimand the telecom department (DoT) officials of “inaction” on the prevailing issue. [It also] said that the firm was cheating consumers by accepting pre-orders with a deposit of Rs 7,500 ($100) for yet-to-be-launched service.
It is unclear who funds Telecom Watchdog. I would not be surprised if it is backed by those in India who have also have vested interest in SpaceX’s chief competitor, OneWeb. The Indian company, Bharti Enterprises Ltd, has invested $500 million to OneWeb, which plans to initiate service to India next year. Starlink poses a serious financial threat to that roll-out.
On Christmas Eve 1968 three Americans became the first humans to visit another world. What they did to celebrate was unexpected and profound, and will be remembered throughout all human history. Genesis: the Story of Apollo 8, Robert Zimmerman's classic history of humanity's first journey to another world, tells that story, and it is now available as both an ebook and an audiobook, both with a foreword by Valerie Anders and a new introduction by Robert Zimmerman.
The print edition can be purchased at Amazon or from any other book seller. If you want an autographed copy the price is $60 for the hardback and $45 for the paperback, plus $8 shipping for each. Go here for purchasing details. The ebook is available everywhere for $5.99 (before discount) at amazon, or direct from my ebook publisher, ebookit. If you buy it from ebookit you don't support the big tech companies and the author gets a bigger cut much sooner.
The audiobook is also available at all these vendors, and is also free with a 30-day trial membership to Audible.
"Not simply about one mission, [Genesis] is also the history of America's quest for the moon... Zimmerman has done a masterful job of tying disparate events together into a solid account of one of America's greatest human triumphs."--San Antonio Express-News
https://www.indiatoday.in/technology/news/story/telecom-watchdog-asks-dot-to-stop-amazon-oneweb-and-starlink-to-acquire-5g-spectrum-through-backdoor-for-free-1824963-2021-07-07
They’re targeting One Web as well, I’m betting there’s a consumer protection law in India that requires contracts to have written dates for supply of service with which Telecom Watchdog thinks these large foreign corporations have to comply. Raising the issue against such high profile companies is great publicity for Telecom Watchdog.
Musk got my hundred bucks back in February. But I am a big boy and I can read that he made no promises about deliver date. The only promise that he made was that it was fully refundable. So far, I have not asked for my money back. I even know that Starlink is far inferior and more expensive that what I have now. But I don’t care. I hate Comcast and there will be a party in my house the day I rip the cable from the side of my house and smash the round green tube in my yard that has their connections. (Well, my neighbor might be mad as we share the tube.)
Small edit in last paragraph: “plans to initiate service”
Andi: Thank you as always.
For reasons unrelated to Starlink, I asked for a refund on my deposit and received it immediately, so I suspect this row is entirely political and dishonest on the part of Telecom Watchdog. Musk’s spectacular endeavor will provide access to the Internet for essentially all people on Earth, regardless of the oppression or censorship of their governments. Starlink is one of the greatest efforts ever attempted on part of the freedom of mankind, and it will not be happily embraced by those who wish to enslave or propagandize their fellow man. I also doubt earthbound competitors to Starlink will be very thrilled when Musk gets the bandwidth up to competitive levels. So expect more whining from everywhere.
What business is this of Telecom Watchdog’s, or anyone else’s? As JhonB pointed out “But I am a big boy . . .” Yes, a contract between consenting adults. A concept seemingly alien to the woke. Go back to sleep.
I’m very pleased with my Starlink service (in South Dakota). There seems to be an orbital “thin spot” around 0915 to 0930 when there are some latency issues with VOIP, but buffered connections are (usually) fine.
It is not quite as reliable as my CenturyLink gigabit fiber service in Denver was, but bandwidth-wise I cannot tell the difference. Multiple audio and video streams work fine. VOIP works. RDP works. I’m sure there is a bandwidth difference, but Starlink meets my needs.
And, as JhonB says, I like where my money is going: Pretty much directly to SpaceX.
The router is scary: It has one light, one wire, and no access. Who knows what’s going on in there?!? The only thing connected to it on the “inside” is a Raspberry Pi firewall; everything else hangs off that so I have some visibility.