Elon Musk's Starlink gets approval in India, high-speed internet will be available even in forests and mountains!
Elon Musk's SpaceX gets approval to launch Starlink service in India - Know the cost, benefits and challenges
Key points:
Approval received: The Department of Telecom has given permission to Starlink to launch satellite internet service in India.
Final approval pending: Now it will wait for the approval of INSPACE (Indian National Space Promotion and Authorization Center).
Cheapest plan: The introductory offer will get unlimited internet for ₹840/month ($10).
Competition: Starlink will have to compete with companies like Jio and OneWeb.
Benefit for rural areas: Starlink can be useful in areas where fiber or mobile networks do not reach.
Challenges facing Starlink in India
1. Limited capacity of satellites:
Currently, 7,000 satellites serve 4 million users worldwide.
Even with 18,000 satellites, only 1.5 million Indian customers will be served by 2030 (IIFL Research).
New customer registrations have already been stopped in America and Africa.
2. More expensive than traditional internet:
According to TRAI, urban users may be charged ₹500/month.
Satellite internet is 7 to 18 times more expensive than fiber or 5G (JM Financial).
3. Less satellite coverage over India:
Only 0.70.8% of the world's total satellites will be present over India.
How will Starlink work?
Satellites will beam internet signals to Earth.
The user will get:
Starlink dish (to be placed under the open sky)
WiFi router
Power supply and mounting stand
Control via app: The app will be available on Android and iOS.
Future prospects
The goal is to reach 10 million customers in the long term.
However, cost and technology limitations can be a major hurdle.
Article published | Fri | 06 Jun 2025 | 10:02 PM