Will Elon Musk announce affordable Starlink internet service during India visit?

New Delhi (Uttam Hindu News): Starlink, an affordable satellite-based internet service offered by SpaceX, the aerospace company run by Elon Musk, has changed the way people in remote and inaccessible parts of the world access the web. Will Musk announce this internet service during his visit to India later this month? After several failed attempts, Starlink is all set to launch satellite broadband services in India, which has around 92 crore broadband subscribers, according to the latest data from the Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI).

Reliance Jio Infocom and Bharti Airtel are currently the leaders in the broadband market. After this there are Vodafone Idea and BSNL. Starlink is set to get the license soon after clearing the regulatory hurdles. The government had passed the Telecom Bill 2023 in December last year, which allows spectrum allocation for satellite-based services without the need to participate in auctions. The move favors companies like OneWeb, Musk’s Starlink and Amazon’s Kuiper.

According to experts, India’s digital economy is experiencing a period of significant growth momentum. Prabhu Ram, head of CMR’s Industry Intelligence Group (IIG), said the possible arrival of Starlink along with Musk’s visit could serve as another catalyst for India’s thriving digital economy. Increased digital access will empower citizens in ‘Aspirational India’, fuel a wave of entrepreneurship, expand access to education and healthcare, and increase participation in the digital workforce.

All Starlink subscription plans include unlimited high-speed data on land without any long-term contract or commitment. Starlink users can achieve download speeds of up to 220 Mbps, with the majority achieving speeds of over 100 Mbps. The cost of Starlink services in India is not known at this time. The basic Starlink Wi-Fi unlimited internet contract for homes in rural areas of the US is $120 per month. Also, there are other data plans as well.