Starlink, the satellite internet business owned by Billionaire Elon Musk, is anticipated to receive its license to operate in India shortly after passing regulatory inspections and testing. India’s connection is anticipated to grow under Starlink, particularly in rural and isolated areas.
This week, the Indian government is expected to approve Elon Musk’s Starlink company after it provides clarification to the Department for Promotion of Industry and Internal Trade over its shareholding pattern.
After their approval, the DoT’s letter of intent would be forwarded to Minister of Communications Ashwini Vaishnaw and Telecom Secretary Neeraj Mittal. Following this, the Satellite Communications Wing will grant Starlink permission.
The DoT approval, however, will prevent it from immediately beginning to offer the satellite-based internet service. The Indian National Space Promotion and Authorization Centre must also grant Starlink permission to establish earth stations.
Significantly, in 2022, Starlink submitted an application for a global mobile personal communication via satellite services (GMPCS) license. If approved, this will make Starlink the third Indian business to hold this license. There are only two businesses in the nation that are authorized by the government to provide satellite broadband service: Jio Satellite Communications and OneWeb. Presently Starlinkranked third on this list after the approval.
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Information regarding Starlink services
The market is aware of Starlink’s offerings and products because it already provides services in numerous regions of the world. If you have a Starlink connection, you won’t lose connectivity whether you’re driving, sitting in your home or workplace, or out at sea. The company offers solutions for all situations.
In an emergency when mobile networks are unavailable, consumers will be able to send texts and use data via the satellite network thanks to a new service being offered by Elon Musk’s Starlink.
India’s market space that Starlink seeks to acquire
Starlink wants to target customers in remote locations that are inaccessible to standard internet infrastructure, such towers or optical fiber, will benefit from this technology.
Compared to traditional terrestrial networks, one of the primary benefits of satellite communication is its rapid and easy construction and deployment.
Satellite broadband connections are particularly advantageous for educational institutions and medical facilities, according to Starlink. In addition to investigating the commercial market, the company may initially think about offering internet services directly to consumers.
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Starlink’s anticipated Price and Speed in India
The Starlink website states that the majority of consumers have download speeds of more than 100 Mbps. Optical fibres on towers typically do not provide this kind of speed in remote places. Given that Starlink is a satellite-based internet service, 4G speeds—rather than 5G speeds.
Starlink has not yet released an official comment on its pricing strategy in India, but the company’s previous India head told Moneycontrol that the service might cost ₹1,58,000 in the first year. Given that Starlink is a one-time equipment purchase, the cost in the second year is probably going to be ₹1,15,000 plus 30% tax.
According to Moneycontrol, the base cost of the user equipment is anticipated to be ₹37,400, plus ₹7,425 for services per month. Starlink’s ultimate pricing will not be disclosed until the service has a license.