Elon Musk’s Starlink Set to Launch in India at Just INR 840!

High-speed satellite internet services are about to be introduced in India by Elon Musk's Starlink and other satellite communication companies, such as Eutelsat OneWeb, which is supported by the Bharti Group, Reliance Jio's joint venture with SES, and Globalstar.

 In order to swiftly draw in a sizable user base in one of the biggest telecom markets in the world, Starlink is anticipated to launch unlimited data plans at discount prices of less than $10 (about INR 840) per month, according to a report from a renowned media house.

Severe Competition o Lead the Race

Satellite operators are trying to expand quickly by providing reasonably priced services, despite the high cost of spectrum and licences. According to experts, this strategy might assist these businesses in spreading out their costly spectrum and infrastructure expenditures over a larger clientele.

Up to 10 million consumers in India is the long-term objective. The telecom watchdog in India, TRAI, has suggested a minimum yearly spectrum cost of INR 3,500 per MHz and a 4% levy on adjusted gross revenue (AGR).

Additionally, suppliers will be required to pay a licence charge of 8%. While there would be no such tax in rural areas, operators would have to pay an extra INR 500 per subscriber annually in metropolitan areas.

The ultimate government approval of these recommendations is pending. Even while the monthly plans can appear alluring, many Indian users might be put off by the initial expense of Starlink hardware.

 Starlink kits cost between $250 and $380 (about INR 21,300 to INR 32,400) worldwide. This is a substantial investment in contrast to India's fibre broadband offerings, which have cheaper installation costs, offer speeds of up to 1 Gbps, and frequently come with bundled OTT subscriptions.

Developments in Regulation and Actions by Rivals

Starlink has obtained a letter of intent from India's Department of Telecommunications (DoT) and is awaiting final certification from the Indian National Space Promotion and Authorisation Centre (IN-SPACe), whereas Jio-SES and Eutelsat OneWeb have already obtained regulatory licenses.

Technical constraints may impede Starlink's expansion in India, notwithstanding its lofty goals. The satellite constellation's geographic coverage of India is projected to be between 0.7% and 0.8% of the world's total satellite capacity, meaning that only 700 to 800 satellites are always in the country.

 This contrasts sharply with India's strong terrestrial infrastructure, which includes 3 million base transceiver stations and more than 800,000 telecom towers. For comparison, Starlink presently charges 6,000 BDT (about INR 4,200) per month in Bangladesh.

The overall start-up fees for new customers come to around INR 37,200, which includes a one-time equipment price of 47,000 BDT (INR 33,000) and an extra 2,800 BDT (INR 2,000) for shipment.