Starlink India Launch: Pricing, Speed, How Airtel And Jio Will Offer It

Telecom giants Bharti Airtel and Reliance Jio have signed agreements with Elon Musk's SpaceX to bring Starlink's satellite internet services to India. The deals are subject to regulatory approvals for SpaceX to sell Starlink in the country.

"Working with SpaceX to offer Starlink to Airtel customers in India is a significant milestone," said Airtel's Managing Director and Vice Chairman Gopal Vittal.

Jio, which signed its deal a day after Airtel, aims to integrate Starlink into its broadband ecosystem. "Our collaboration with SpaceX to bring Starlink to India strengthens our commitment and marks a transformative step toward seamless broadband connectivity for all," said Mathew Oommen, Group CEO of Reliance Jio.

What Is Starlink?

Starlink, developed by Elon Musk's SpaceX, is a satellite-based internet service designed to provide high-speed connectivity globally, especially in underserved regions.

How Starlink Will Work

• Satellite Constellation: Unlike traditional satellite internet services that rely on a few satellites in geostationary orbit (approximately 35,786 km above Earth), Starlink utilises a large constellation of small satellites positioned in low Earth orbit (LEO), typically around 550 km in altitude.
• This proximity to Earth significantly reduces latency, improving the performance of real-time applications such as video calls and online gaming. 
• User Terminals: Customers access the internet via user terminals, often referred to as satellite dishes or antennas. These devices are equipped with phased-array antennas capable of electronically steering their beam to track multiple satellites as they move across the sky.
• Ground Stations: Starlink's satellites communicate with terrestrial internet infrastructure through a network of ground stations. Data from a user's terminal is transmitted to a satellite, which then relays it to the nearest ground station connected to the broader internet.
• Inter-Satellite Communication: Starlink uses laser communication links to improve coverage and reduce reliance on ground stations. These links let satellites transfer data directly, helping the network route traffic efficiently, even over oceans or remote areas without infrastructure.

How Starlink Will Help India

SpaceX, along with Airtel and Jio, will explore offering Starlink services through their retail stores, providing connectivity to businesses, schools, health centres, and rural communities across India. SpaceX COO Gwynne Shotwell said the company is "excited" to work with Airtel and unlock Starlink's "transformative impact" in India.

Starlink aims to bring high-speed internet to India's remote regions, where traditional fiber-optic networks and mobile towers are difficult to set up. India has nearly 100 crore telecom users, but many rural areas still lack reliable connectivity. Starlink's satellite-based service, offering speeds between 25 Mbps and 220 Mbps, could help bridge this gap.

Starlink Price In India

Starlink has not yet announced its pricing for India. In 2022, the company estimated that the first-year cost could be Rs 1.58 lakh, dropping to Rs 1.15 lakh from the second year.

In Kenya, the service costs $10 per month, while in the US, it is priced at $120 per month. In Bhutan, Starlink's residential plans range from Rs 3,000 to Rs 4,200 per month.