Starlink Plans To Bring Broadband Services To Rural India Next Year

Starlink, plans to enter India by offering its internet services next year. (photo: starlink/the verge)

JAKARTA - Elon Musk's satellite-based company, Starlink, plans to enter India by offering its internet services next year. The company will focus on bringing broadband connectivity to the rural constituency of Lok Sabha first.

A report from MoneyControl quoted by Gizmochina, Monday, October 4, stated that the satellite company is planning to hold virtual conversations with lawmakers, ministers and other top government officials about their expansion into India.

Talks covered how broadband connectivity can change lives in rural areas. In addition, SpaceX's satellite broadband unit is also working to bring its own services to India from December 2022, procuring around 200,000 active terminals, but must first obtain permission from the local government.

“(We) will see if they think 100 percent broadband will help improve lives. We will probably focus on ten rural Lok Sabha constituencies for 80 percent of Starlink terminals shipped to India," said Sanjay Bhargava, Starlink Country Director for India.

Earlier, Bhargava also said that pre-order services from India had already exceeded 5,000 orders, and the company was interested in working in rural areas to provide broadband services.

However, Starlink's arrival in India will make it compete with local telecommunications operators such as Reliance Jio, Bharti Airtel, Vodafone Idea in broadband.

“Most of it will be provided by terrestrial broadband, but difficult-to-serve areas will be handled by Satcom providers such as Starlink. We look forward to the day when India's rural constituents can declare themselves 100 percent broadband," said Bhargava.

Starlink / The Verge