Starlink Set to Launch in India with INR 3,000 Monthly Plans, INR 33,000 Setup Fee

With an anticipated monthly price of INR 3,000 for limitless bandwidth and a one-time fee of INR 33,000 for the receiver kit, Elon Musk's satellite internet business Starlink is getting closer to offering its services in India.

According to a media site, the service is anticipated to launch within the next 12 months. On June 6, Starlink achieved a significant milestone in its attempts to join the Indian broadband market by obtaining a vital licence from the Ministry of Telecommunications.

With this approval, Starlink becomes one of the three companies permitted to provide satellite-based internet services in India, joining Bharti Airtel's OneWeb and Reliance Jio's satellite division.

Starlink Targeting Rural and Remote Areas

Through its constellation of low-Earth orbit (LEO) satellites, Starlink intends to provide 600–700 Gbps of bandwidth, focusing on rural and isolated regions where traditional fibre and mobile networks are still scarce or unreliable.

Starlink is establishing itself as a premium service in areas where terrestrial internet is not an option, even though India is renowned for having some of the lowest data prices in the world. There were differing initial predictions regarding Starlink's pricing in India.

Sanjay Bhargava, the former head of Starlink India, had projected an initial cost of INR 1.58 lakh, which would drop to INR 1.15 lakh in later years. The revised numbers align the price with Starlink's recent debut in Bangladesh, where the service is available for INR 3,000 per month with a hardware cost of INR 33,000.

Starlink Expanding its Network in Asia

At the moment, Starlink serves a few Asian nations, such as Bangladesh, Bhutan, Malaysia, Indonesia, the Philippines, and Japan. Standard plans cost between INR 4,000 and INR 6,000 per month, depending on the market, whereas Residential Lite plans in the region usually cost between INR 2,600 and INR 3,000.

The first-year cost in Bangladesh, where the pricing plan is very similar to that suggested for India, is approximately INR 66,000. Before Starlink can begin operations in India, it still needs to clear further regulatory obstacles even after obtaining its operating licence.

The DoT has yet to approve the spectrum allotment proposals made by the Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI). The necessary paperwork for DoT clearance has already been sent in by the business.

 After Starlink promised to abide by the most recent national security regulations for satcom operators, DoT granted initial clearance.

These comprise 29 new requirements, including the usage of local data centres, the requirement for interception and monitoring systems, the ability for mobile terminals to track, and the stringent localisation of infrastructure and services.