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India.com
8 hours ago
- Business
- India.com
When will satellite internet services launch in India? Mukesh Ambani, Elon Musk, Sunil Mittal set to...; price will be...
(File) Starlink India: Elon Musk-led Satcom giant Starlink, as well as domestic telecom majors, Mukesh Ambani-owned Reliance Jio and Sunil Mittal's Bharti Airtel, have acquired the necessary licenses for operating satellite communication services in India, which is expected to transform the country's digital landscape by providing internet and voice connectivity in remote regions where conventional telecom network struggle to reach. Who will operate satcom services in India? According to media reports, Elon Musk's Starlink, Reliance Jio-SES JV, and Bharti Airtel's Eutelsat OneWeb, have acquired the necessary permits for operating satellite internet services in India even as the Indian government is finalizing terms of spectrum allocation, upon which there is a lack of consensus among service providers. Why the delay in spectrum allocation? The Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI) had given its recommendations on spectrum allocation in May this year, and it usually takes about 2-3 months for the Department of Telecommunications (DoT) to submit its own after TRAI does, The Economic Times reported, quoted a senior executive of a major satcom firm. As per the satcom executive, DoT recommendations are submitted to the (Digital Communications Commission) DCC for review, and after approval, these are examined by Union Cabinet. Following this process, DoT is tasked with charting the allocation rules, and currently its is expected that the allocation process will start by October this year, he noted. When will satellite internet launch in India? According to officials, it will likely take about a month for satcom providers to launch commercial services after spectrum allocation, which puts launch timeline somewhere around the end of November or early December. 'We are looking at a November-end or December timeframe for the launch of commercial service,' the ET report quoted an executive as saying. the first executive said. On Wednesday, US-based Starlink became the third satcom operator to get approval from space regulator Indian National Space Promotion and Authorisation Centre (IN-SPACe) to launch commercial satcom services in the country after Bharti-backed Eutelsat OneWeb and Reliance Jio-SES JV. Starlink received its Global Mobile Personal Communication by Satellite (GMPCS) permit last month. How much will satellite internet cost in India? While the price of satellite internet have not been formally announced, various reports provide insights into how much Elon Musk's Starlink will cost in India. According to a former top official at Starlink, the service could cost around Rs 1,58,000 for the first year, which will decreased to Rs 1,15,000 in the second year, including 30 percent tax. The difference in the prices between the first and second year is due to the fact that the customer needs to make a one-time purchase of the device needed to use the Starlink service, the first time around, The device costs Rs 37,400, according to reports. Additionally, users must pay an extra Rs 7,425 per month as service fee.
Time of India
2 days ago
- Business
- Time of India
Stay tuned, satcom services may come to you by year-end
Mumbai | New Delhi: Satellite communication services could be commercially launched in India by December, according to industry executives, with three major players - Bharti-backed Eutelsat OneWeb , Reliance Jio-SES and Elon Musk-owned Starlink - having secured the necessary permits and clearances and the government working on finalising terms of allocating spectrum. "Trai (Telecom Regulatory Authority of India) had given its recommendation in May. The DoT (Department of Telecommunications) typically takes two to three months on the outer side to come back with its recommendations and present it to the DCC (Digital Communications Commission)," a senior executive at one of the satcom companies, which has secured all the permits, said on condition of anonymity. "Once the DCC gives its approval, it needs to be vetted by the cabinet. Then the DoT needs to come out with its rules for allotment. Optimistically, the government is likely to be in a position to give spectrum by October." After spectrum allotment, it would take around a month to start commercial services, according to two executives. "We are looking at a November-end or December timeline (for launch of commercial services) at an optimistic level," said the first executive. Eutelsat OneWeb, Jio-SES and Starlink didn't respond to ET's queries. On Wednesday, US-based Starlink became the third satcom operator after Bharti-backed Eutelsat OneWeb and Reliance Jio-SES JV to get a clearance from the space regulator, Indian National Space Promotion and Authorization Centre (IN-SPACe), to start commercial satcom services in the country. Starlink received its Global Mobile Personal Communication by Satellite (GMPCS) permit last month. Two other global satcom services firms - Jeff Bezos-owned Amazon Kuiper and Apple's satcom partner Globalstar - are awaiting approvals from the Indian authorities. India's space economy has a potential to hit $44 billion by 2033 and account for about 8% of the global share, as per IN-SPACe. The country's annual satcom business revenue opportunity is pegged at $1 billion. The DoT is expected to finalise pricing and rules for allocating satellite spectrum administratively, having receiving recommendations from Trai after a bitter fight between telcos, which wanted the satcom spectrum to be auctioned, and satcom companies such as Starlink and Amazon Kuiper, which wanted the airwaves to be allotted administratively. The government and Trai have since decided on administrative allocation. "We don't believe any of the players will have a head start in launching commercial services. Since Airtel and Jio are also partners of Starlink, we expect all three (Starlink, Eutelsat OneWeb and Jio-SES) to start at the same time because that makes sense from a technical, commercial and a compliance standpoint," said Rohan Dhamija, partner and head of India & Middle East at Analysys Mason. Jio and Bharti Airtel, part of the Bharti Group, which is a large shareholder in Eutelsat OneWeb, have marketing tie-ups with Starlink. Conceding that Jio-SES and Eutelsat OneWeb have lost out on the chance for a head start in offering satcom in India, a senior executive at one of the two firms said India also lost out in the process.
Time of India
3 days ago
- Business
- Time of India
Elon Musk's Starlink gets approval to start operations in India, but with a 'expiry date' for now
Elon Musk 's satellite internet service Starlink has cleared its final regulatory hurdle for launching commercial broadband in India. Starlink has now received the important approval from the Indian National Space Promotion and Authorization Centre (IN-SPACe). After this final approval, Starlink becomes the third satcom operator after Bharti-backed Eutelsat OneWeb and the Reliance Jio-SES joint venture, to receive all the necessary clearances for operating in the Indian market. Starlink's Starlink's Gen 1 low-Earth orbit (LEO) satellite constellation, which comprises 4,408 satellites capable of delivering 600 Gbps throughput across India. Last month, Starlink obtained its Global Mobile Personal Communication by Satellite (GMPCS) permit. Starlink's India approval comes with an expiry date The satellite internet service owned by Elon Musk's SpaceX, has cleared all the regulatory hurdles, but till the company will have to wait for the full-scale commercial launch of its service. Like the other competitors, Starlink will also have to mandatorily procure trial spectrum and meet security compliances set by the Department of Telecommunications (DoT) before being allowed to start its services commercially. Eutelsat OneWeb and the Jio-SES JV received their trial spectrums last year and they also received an extension of six months. Now both the operators are waiting for their final security compliance approval. DoT is also expected to issue trial spectrum to Starlink. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like An engineer reveals: One simple trick to get internet without a subscription Techno Mag Learn More Undo On the basis of TRAI's recommendations, DoT is also expected to soon finalize pricing and allocation rules for satellite spectrum. TRAI has proposed an administrative allocation model with a 4% fee on adjusted gross revenue (AGR) for five years. Urban users may face an additional ₹500 per subscriber annually, while rural users are exempt. Starlink in India may face hurdles However, a widespread adoption for Starlink in India may face hurdles, particularly concerning hardware costs. Globally, Starlink's hardware kits range from $250 (approx. Rs 21,300) to $380 (approx. Rs 32,400). This represents a significant upfront investment compared to existing Indian home broadband offerings, which typically feature much lower hardware costs, provide speeds up to 1 Gbps, and often bundle Over-The-Top (OTT) app subscriptions. AI Masterclass for Students. Upskill Young Ones Today!– Join Now
India Gazette
3 days ago
- Business
- India Gazette
Starlink gets necessary clearance from India's space regulator
ANI 09 Jul 2025, 21:38 GMT+10 New Delhi [India], July 9 (ANI): Elon Musk-owned satellite communication firm Starlink has received clearance from the Indian space regulator, the Indian National Space Promotion and Authorisation Centre (IN-SPACe), sources said on Wednesday. In early June, Starlink was provided with license by the government to launch GMPCS (Global Mobile Personal Communication by Satellite) services, VSAT Services and ISP Category-A under unified license. Starlink is the third company to receive approval for satellite communication (satcom) services from the Department of Telecom, following OneWeb and Reliance Jio. Recently, Airtel and Jio have partnered with Starlink to bring the latter's high-speed satellite internet services to their customers in India. Starlink will utilise Airtel and Jio's extensive dealer network to sell and promote its services. Satellite telecom in India will help the country provide much-needed services in remote interior places where conventional telecom services tend to be costly. Starlink's imminent launch comes as India continues to push for digital inclusion and improved internet connectivity across its vast geographical expanse, particularly in areas where traditional internet service providers have struggled to establish reliable networks. (ANI)
Time of India
3 days ago
- Business
- Time of India
Musk's Starlink clears final hurdle for India launch, gets satellite authorisation from IN-SPACe
Image courtesy: AP Image courtesy: AP 1 2 New Delhi: Elon Musk's satcom venture Starlink on Wednesday cleared the final hurdle for launch of services in India, as the company received satellite authorisation approval from Indian National Space Promotion and Authorization Centre (IN-SPACe). Earlier, the company had received a license to offer satellite services in India from the department of telecom (DoT) on June 5, and the IN-Space clearance now paves the way for it to start work on setting up ground infrastructure to begin services, possibly over the next few months. The company, like other players in the industry, awaits allotment of satcom spectrum from the govt. IN-SPACe granted authorization to Starlink Satellite Communications Private Limited (SSCPL) for enabling provisioning of low-earth orbit (LEO) satellites constellation, namely Starlink Gen1. 'IN-SPACe authorization to SSCPL has a validity period of five years from the date of authorization or end of operational life of Gen1 constellation – whichever is earlier. The roll-out of services is subject to the stipulated regulatory provisions and requisite clearance/approval/license from the relevant government department(s),' the satellite authorisation body said. The Starlink Gen1 Constellation is a global constellation with 4,408 satellites orbiting earth in altitudes varying between 540-570 kms capable of providing 600 Gbps throughput over India. In June, Starlink had received approval for three licenses -- Global Mobile Personal Communication by Satellite (GMPCS), Commercial Very Small Aperture Terminal (VSAT), and Internet Service Provider (ISP) after trying for years to get a go-ahead. 'With the approvals done, the company will now begin work to set up ground infrastructure for enabling services. A lot of equipment will also be imported and approvals will be sought for the same,' sources said. Starlink currently has a subscriber base of over 5 million customers globally, and is looking to grow this exponentially as it begins services in a telecom-heavy market like India. The initial business case for the company remains connecting the unserved and remote telecom areas (rural and mountainous regions), enterprises like mining, and govt, maritime, and aviation sectors. However, industry players believe that the company will also target urban areas with broadband services, many of whom would buy it to have additional connectivity and initially due to the novelty factor. According to reports by a section of analysts, Starlink is expected to go aggressive in India and launch its services at data prices under Rs 1,000, which still would be significantly higher to the fibre-to-home broadband rates given by Reliance Jio and Airtel. Also, for satcom, consumers will also need to invest in home hardware cost, which currently costs upwards of Rs 20,000 (when converted to Indian currency), many times over to what a broadband router costs. The company may also subsidise this in line with its business plans and network bandwidth. Sources said the govt sees the entry of satellite services in India as a positive for boosting mobile coverage. It feels that Starlink and other satcom ventures will help get 100% mobile coverage across the length and breadth of the country, while adding a new operator in the market. Starlink has also stitched up alliances with Jio and Airtel ahead of its launch. In March, both Jio and Airtel had signed up separate deals with Starlink to market Musk's satcom services in India while also looking at network augmentation opportunities. This happened after a meeting between Prime Minister Narendra and Musk during the former's visit to the US in February.
