Elon Musk'Starlink
The government will reportedly start the spectrum allocation for Elon Musk’s Starlink satellite broadband service in India. According to a report by The Hindu Businessline, the Department of Telecommunications (DoT) is in the final stage of drafting the spectrum allocation guidelines. The final draft is expected to be released within the next four to six weeks.
For the unversed, Starlink has recently cleared the final stage of regulator approval by receiving a five-year licence from the Indian National Space Promotion and Authorisation Centre (IN-SPACe). Starlink, through its 4,408-satellite constellation, orbiting between 540 km and 570 km, is expected to offer around 600 Gbps internet speed.
Here’s everything you need to know about the Starlink launch timeline, pricing, speed, and more.
As the DoT is in the final stage of drafting spectrum allocation guidelines, Starlink is inching closer to its service rollout in India. However, they would still need ground infrastructure and conduct compliance trials to meet national security standards. The company is expected to start its services in India by this year’s end or early next year.
Starlink is expected to launch its unlimited data plans in India at promotional prices of under $10 per month, which is roughly Rs 840, to attract a large user base. TRAI has proposed a monthly fee of Rs 500 for users in urban areas, a 4 per cent fee on adjusted gross revenue, and a minimum yearly fee of Rs 3,500 per MHz for satellite spectrum. The satellite broadband service provider will also have to pay an 8 per cent license fee to offer services commercially in India.
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The hardware pricing in India is yet to be disclosed. In the US, the standard Starlink kit costs $349 (about Rs 30,000), and the compact Starlink Mini is priced at $599 (around Rs 43,000). Starlink is expected to offer speeds ranging from 25 Mbps to 220 Mbps, depending on location and satellite coverage.