Starlink in advanced talks with Jio, Airtel, Tata Communications, and data centre operators.
One-time setup cost may be Rs 30,000; monthly plans from Rs 3,300.
Expected India launch by late Q3 or early Q4 2025 with speeds up to 220Mbps.
Starlink, Elon Musk’s satellite internet business, is now prepared to launch in India. According to reports, the business intends to launch the trial services shortly. For those who are unaware, the business has already started advanced talks with major telecom providers like Tata Communications, Bharti Airtel, and Reliance Jio, as well as data centre providers like Equinix, STT, Sify Technologies, and CtrlS Datacenters. The report also added that the talks are also in progress with fibre infrastructure companies like Microscan and internet exchange operators like DE-CIX and Extreme.
SurveyAccording to the Economic Times report, the initial capital outlay for the project could be close to around Rs 500 crore. Starlink has already secured all necessary approvals from the Indian authorities and has been allocated trial bandwidth, setting the stage for rollout. Letters of intent are expected to be issued to satcom partners this month.
What’s the current status?
If the reports are believed to be true, the company has finalised 17 locations all over India for its ground stations, which will anchor its direct-to-cell satellite services by linking its low-Earth orbit satellites with local fibre and data networks. This is because the Indian regulations need all downlink traffic to be routed and stored domestically, making partnerships with data centres and internet exchanges a critical piece of the strategy.
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The partnerships are not limited to infrastructure. Discussions with Airtel and Jio are also expected to include distribution, with early marketing collaborations already being discussed. Starlink has also formed a partnership with DE-CIX, which has 36 points of presence in five cities and handles 11Tbps of data throughput. Meanwhile, Extreme IXP confirmed that Starlink has connected to its Mumbai port.
Starlink India launch timeline, plans, speed, and price (Expected)
Starlink will reportedly launch in India by late Q3 or early Q4 2025. Speaking of the price, the one-time setup cost is expected to be around Rs 30,000, with monthly plans starting at Rs 3,300. The service may offer a speed ranging between 25Mbps and 220Mbps. However, the company is yet to confirm all the details.
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Ashish Singh
Ashish Singh is the Chief Copy Editor at Digit. He's been wrangling tech jargon since 2020 (Times Internet, Jagran English '22). When not policing commas, he's likely fueling his gadget habit with coffee, strategising his next virtual race, or plotting a road trip to test the latest in-car tech. He speaks fluent Geek. View Full Profile
