Gandhinagar: The Gujarat government on Monday signed a Letter of Intent (LoI) for mutual cooperation with Starlink Satellite Communications Private Limited, a subsidiary of Elon Musk’s SpaceX.

As a result of this LoI, high-speed satellite-based internet connectivity will be made available in remote, border, and underserved areas facing limited telecom facilities and network challenges through digital connectivity missions and strategic initiatives.

Under this LoI, the pilot project plans to connect Common Service Centres (CSCs), e-governance facilities, government schools, district disaster management control rooms, ports, and wildlife sanctuary areas.

This will prove to be a significant step towards digital inclusion in the state’s tribal districts, including aspirational districts such as Narmada and Dahod. With the implementation of this LoI, reliable digital service delivery will be ensured in these districts, along with enhanced security and stability through strong connectivity for police outposts, disaster management centres, wildlife monitoring, and agricultural research centres.

Under this initiative, smart connectivity for education in state schools, as well as healthcare and telemedicine services at Primary Health Centres (PHCs), will be made available easily and rapidly. Alongside this, joint training programmes for capacity building of various government agencies, departments, schools, and disaster response teams will be planned in the future.

In view of the need for seamless and easy connectivity in the state, a Joint Working Group comprising representatives of the state government and Starlink will be formed for the effective implementation of this LoI.

The Letter of Intent exchange ceremony was held in Gandhinagar in the presence of Chief Minister Bhupendra Patel and Deputy Chief Minister Harsh Sanghavi. On behalf of the state government, Industries Commissioner P. Swaroop, and on behalf of Starlink, Head of Starlink India Prabhakar Jayakumar, exchanged the Letter of Intent.

The Chief Minister expressed confidence that the implementation of this joint project in the coming years will prove to be a milestone in expanding the state’s digital services and will further accelerate the progress of e-governance.

The Letter of Intent also covers strengthening connectivity in GIDC industrial parks, highway safety systems, maritime and port connectivity, and coastal police operations across the state. DeshGujarat