Starlink Launch in India Big Update: Elon Musk’s internet network gets approval to begin operation, services likely to begin from…, it will cost…

Starlink’s Gen 1 low-Earth orbit (LEO) satellite constellation, which comprises 4,408 satellites capable of delivering 600 Gbps throughput across India.

New Delhi: In a major development, Starlink has received final regulatory approval to launch its commercial broadband services in India. The Indian National Space Promotion and Authorization Centre (IN-SPACe) has given an important approval to Elon Musk’s satellite internet service. Starlink has now become 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 Gen 1 low-Earth orbit (LEO) satellite constellation, which comprises 4,408 satellites capable of delivering 600 Gbps throughput across India. It is important to note that last month, Starlink obtained its Global Mobile Personal Communication by Satellite (GMPCS) permit.

Starlink’s India approval comes with an expiry date

Starlink has cleared all the regulatory roadblocks. However, the company will have to wait for the full-scale commercial launch of its service. Notably, Elon Musk’s internet service will have to 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 soon finalize pricing and allocation rules for satellite spectrum, as per the TRAI’s recommendations. TRAI has proposed an administrative allocation model with a 4 percent fee on adjusted gross revenue (AGR) for five years. Urban users may face an additional Rs 500 per subscriber annually, while rural users are exempt.

What is Starlink’s current exchange rate?

Starlink is priced at Rs 3,430–4,280 (12,000–15,000 LKR) per month for residential connections, and Rs 4,280–8,560 (15,000–30,100 LKR) for portable ‘roam’ plans. The one time hardware equipment is priced at Rs 17,185–33,685 (60,200–1,18,000 LKR). The prices are roughly comparable to those announced for the other two South Asian countries.