Elon Musk's satellite internet company, Starlink, is said to be ready to begin operations in India after clearing a majority of the regulatory processes.
The firm may offer subscription plans starting at around $10 (approximately ₹850) per month, said media reports, potentially making it one of the world's most reasonably priced satellite internet services.
According to The Economic Times, Starlink has recently received a Letter of Intent (LoI) from India's Department of Telecommunications (DoT), which is the advance nod needed to begin services. This update is a very significant milestone for SpaceX's internet venture, which has suffered delays in the face of bureaucratic and licensing issues.
The low-end plans initially will include unlimited data during promotion and will try to quickly gain a huge user base in India. The firm allegedly has big ambitions, setting its sights on up to 10 million customers across the country. The price war strategy is thought to be intended to balance the huge initial investments and spectrum charges with huge use volumes.
Nonetheless, there are regulatory conditions that may influence pricing. The Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI) reportedly proposed a ₹500 monthly fee for urban consumers, which would add to the satellite broadband price compared to standard wired and wireless internet.
Apart from the urban fee, Starlink and other satellite internet companies could be subjected to a four percent rate on their adjusted gross revenue (AGR), a minimum of ₹3,500 per block as an annual spectrum fee, and eight percent as a licensing fee for commercial operation. All these are yet to be finally approved by the authorities.
Even with these possible allegations, Starlink seems intent on offering reasonable introductory pricing to customers. The company views tremendous potential in India's huge and underpenetrated markets, particularly the rural regions where stable internet connectivity is scarce.
To put this into perspective, Starlink's price in other nations is significantly higher. The Residential Lite plan in the U.S., for instance, goes for around $80 (₹6,800) per month, providing unlimited yet deprioritized data. On top of that, users have to buy a Starlink standard kit once for $349 (₹29,700). The firm also has Roam plans for people who travel frequently, with a $50 (₹4,200) starting price for 50GB of data and a $299 (₹25,400) fee for the Starlink Mini Kit.
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