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Apple and Google have raised technical and regulatory concerns over India’s direct-to-device satellite connectivity framework. They flagged issues like hardware changes, battery drain, weak signals and lack of global standards. The pushback may delay rollout of the technology, which aims to provide connectivity in remote and disaster-prone areas.

India's ambition to bring direct-to-device satellite connectivity to mainstream smartphones has run into an early and significant complication. Apple and Google, the two companies that between them design the operating systems running on virtually every smartphone in the country, have flagged a series of technical and regulatory concerns with the Department of Telecommunications (DoT) over India's proposed direct-to-device (D2D) framework, the Economic Times has reported.

The pushback doesn't kill the plan, but it does signal that the road to satellite connectivity on Indian phones is longer and more complex than the government may have anticipated.

What Is direct-to-device and why does it matter?

D2D technology allows a smartphone to connect directly to a satellite in low-earth orbit, bypassing mobile towers entirely. The implications for India are significant. In remote regions, hilly belts, border locations, and sea routes, D2D can provide backup communication support where towers are difficult or impossible to deploy. During floods, earthquakes, cyclones, or landslides, when terrestrial networks may fail, D2D can provide emergency continuity.