Elon Musk’s Starlink has already announced its plans to enter the Indian market. Previously, the company announced a collaboration with Jio and Airtel. While the official release timeline still remains under wraps, a new report has offered more details about the satellite internet provider’s India expansion. According to the report citing Union Minister of State for Telecom, Devusinh Chauhan, Starlink will be available in the coming months.
The report citing the government sources has also stated that Starlink could charge between Rs 30,000 and Rs 35,000 as a one-time installation fee, and the monthly plan will range from Rs 3,000 to Rs 4,200, depending on the location and usage. If true, it will be relatively higher pricing and may not attract people from urban areas. However, it could be a great option for the people who live in rural and remote parts of India, specifically where internet infrastructure is lacking.
Additionally, the report has added that the Indian government has capped Starlink’s user base at 2 million connections across the country to avoid disrupting the existing telecom ecosystem. The government has also mandated that Starlink distribute its hardware through Indian telecom giants like Reliance Jio and Airtel, ensuring local players remain involved in the infrastructure deployment.
As per the reports, Starlink in India may offer internet speeds between 25Mbps and 220Mbps. However, it could depend on the signal conditions, locations, and other aspects. The exact plan details also remain under wraps.
In the meantime, the reports also hint that Starlink may launch its next-generation satellites in 2026, which could deliver a massive upgrade for the existing users with each satellite delivering up to 1,000 Gbps capacity.
With the regulatory hurdles nearly cleared and infrastructure collabs in place, Starlink could soon debut in India and offer high-speed internet. Stay tuned with Digit for the details.