Elon Musk’s highly anticipated satellite internet service, Starlink, is finally making its way to India through a strategic partnership between Bharti Airtel and SpaceX. This collaboration aims to bring high-speed internet to underserved regions across the country—pending regulatory approvals.
Airtel and SpaceX Join Forces to Expand Starlink in India
The partnership between Airtel and SpaceX will explore ways to expand Starlink’s reach across India, potentially integrating the service into Airtel’s existing retail network. This move could help bridge the digital divide by bringing internet connectivity to remote villages, schools, and businesses that struggle with unreliable broadband access.
While exact pricing and speed details for Indian users are yet to be confirmed, the collaboration is expected to complement Airtel’s current internet offerings. The announcement follows a high-profile meeting between Elon Musk and Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi in Washington, where they discussed advancements in technology and space innovation. However, before launching, Starlink must secure final regulatory approvals from Indian authorities.
What Is Starlink and How Does It Work?
Starlink, developed by SpaceX, is a satellite-based internet service designed to deliver fast and reliable connectivity through a network of low Earth orbit satellites. Unlike traditional broadband that relies on cables and infrastructure, Starlink’s technology bypasses geographical limitations, making it ideal for areas where setting up internet infrastructure is challenging due to terrain or remoteness.
Already operational in multiple countries, Starlink is steadily expanding its satellite constellation to improve global coverage and reduce latency, making it a viable alternative to traditional internet services.
What Can Indian Users Expect?
Once launched, Starlink in India is expected to offer download speeds ranging from 25 Mbps to 220 Mbps, with upload speeds between 5 Mbps and 20 Mbps. Latency is expected to range between 25 to 50 milliseconds, making it suitable for streaming, gaming, video conferencing, and remote work.
With Airtel’s involvement, Starlink’s rollout in India could be more extensive than initially anticipated, offering a game-changing solution for rural and underserved communities. If regulatory approvals are secured soon, India could witness a new era of satellite-powered internet connectivity in the near future.
[…] Telecom companies argued that satellite operators should pay existing spectrum fees to prevent “market distortions.” High spectrum fees, they claimed, would limit satellite firms from offering cheaper tariffs. However, the Indian government has ruled in favor of administrative spectrum allocation, with Telecom Minister Jyotiraditya Scindia stating last year, “Satellite spectrum across the world is allocated administratively. So, India is not doing anything different.”Also Read: Elon Musk’s Starlink Is Finally Coming to India – Here’s Everything You Need to Know […]