India’s internet and telecom sector is likely to get a new entrant – Elon Musk’s Starlink – which will be a game-changer for internet users in the world’s most populous country. Elon Musk will compete with national carrier BSNL and giants like Mukesh Ambani’s Jio and Sunil Bharti Mittal’s Airtel to provide ultra-high speed connectivity to Indian users.
Whether it will be able to compete with Jio and Airtel in terms of price remains to be seen. India currently has the lowest prices in the world for broadband and WiFi internet. Elon Musk, currently the richest person in the world, may aim to compete aggressively in the world’s most vibrant internet data market.
Starlink, which provides wireless internet service with the help of satellite constellations in near-Earth orbit, is currently seeking the necessary security clearance for a license to offer satellite broadband services in India and is expected to get the permit. Will get it if he fulfills the prescribed conditions. Out, the Telecom Minister said today.
Starlink has been looking to enter India for years and its plans got a big boost last month when New Delhi said it would not auction spectrum for satellite broadband, but instead give it away administratively – as Elon Musk wanted. . Rival Indian telecom billionaire Mukesh Ambani wanted an auction.
India’s Telecom Minister Jyotiraditya Scindia confirmed today that Starlink is in the process of obtaining the necessary security clearances, which will require it to satisfy the Indian government that the company processes and stores all data locally in India, and its satellites Signals are encrypted and 100 percent secure.
“When you check all the boxes, you get the license. If they (Starlink) do that, we would be very happy,” Mr Scindia said.
Mukesh Ambani’s Reliance Jio currently dominates India’s broadband market with over 14 million wired subscribers. Jio also has a user base of around 500 million mobile internet users. Airtel also has about 30 crore broadband customers. However, they are worried that after spending more than $20 billion in spectrum auctions, they now risk losing customers to Elon Musk’s Starlink due to advances in satellite technology.
According to a Reuters report, Reliance Jio already has the necessary approvals to launch its satellite broadband service, but it has not done so yet. Starlink has now informed the Indian government that it is ready to comply with India’s rules and regulations for security, data storage and servers.
When Reliance Jio first launched services, Mukesh Ambani, Asia’s richest man, offered free broadband services to all customers to gain a larger market share. Elon Musk, the world’s richest man, is now adopting a similar strategy – in Africa, Musk offers Starlink services for as little as $10 (roughly Rs. 800) per month. In the US, Musk offers the same Starlink service for $120 (approximately Rs 10,000) per month.
