Starlink readies India rollout, says India capacity will go waste without rural users

In July, the Elon Musk-owned firm secured authorization from the Indian National Space Promotion and Authorization Centre (IN-SPACe) for its Gen 1 satellite constellation over India

Elon Musk’s Starlink on Wednesday said its upcoming satellite broadband service in India will remain underutilized unless rural users are brought on board, stressing that rural connectivity lies at the core of its global network and will be central to its India plans. The company, which is gearing up to launch its satellite communication (satcom) services in the country, said it is “excited” and fully focused on providing Indians with a secure, compliant, and high-quality broadband experience.

"Most of Starlink’s users worldwide are residential customers in rural areas — people for whom we were often the first real broadband option,” said Parnil Urdhwareshe, India market access director at Starlink, speaking at the India Mobile Congress (IMC) in New Delhi. “Serving rural users is fundamental to the mission of Starlink,” he added.

According to Urdhwareshe, the number of users Starlink can serve in urban areas such as Mumbai would be only a fraction — about one-tenth — of what it could cater to in rural districts. “Our goal everywhere has been to complement existing connectivity and ensure high-quality internet access in both urban and rural regions,” he said.

Starlink is putting in place the infrastructure required to begin its satellite communication (satcom) services in India, entering a field that already includes rivals Eutelsat OneWeb and Jio Satellite. The company has received all key approvals, with the last pending step being the allocation of operational spectrum by the Department of Telecommunications (DoT) and the Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (Trai).

In July, the Elon Musk-owned firm secured authorization from the Indian National Space Promotion and Authorization Centre (IN-SPACe) for its Gen 1 satellite constellation over India — shortly after receiving a Global Mobile Personal Communications by Satellite (GMPCS) licence. The 20-year GMPCS licence allows Starlink to offer voice and data services through satellites across licensed service areas.

The company has not yet revealed its India pricing, though globally Starlink operates over 8,400 satellites in orbit. Earlier this year, Minister of State for Communications Chandra Sekhar Pemmasani said Starlink’s India operations would likely serve up to 2 million customers with speeds of up to 200 Mbps. He added that the high upfront and monthly costs — expected to be around ₹3,000 — would keep the service distinct from mass-market telecom offerings.

In March, SpaceX — Starlink’s parent company — partnered with Bharti Airtel and Jio Platforms to potentially distribute Starlink equipment through their retail networks and deliver connectivity to institutions such as schools and healthcare centers. Research firm Bernstein estimated that nearly 40% of India’s population still lacks internet access, mostly in rural areas, calling it a major growth opportunity for Starlink.

Starlink has also received trial satcom spectrum from DoT to demonstrate compliance with Indian security norms. “We’re focused on being ready to serve Indian users with a secure, compliant, and high-quality experience,” Urdhwareshe said, while lauding the government’s push to make satellite communication a reality soon.

However, clarity on pricing and fees for satellite spectrum remains pending. Trai has recommended that satcom providers pay either 4% of their adjusted gross revenue (AGR) or Rs 3,500 per MHz annually — whichever is higher — along with an additional Rs 500 per subscriber in urban areas. The DoT has raised concerns about the feasibility of distinguishing between urban and rural users for billing and compliance purposes.

Industry groups have urged the government to keep spectrum prices low to enable affordable rural coverage. “Spectrum charges for rural areas should be minimal and lower than current Trai recommendations,” said Debashish Bhattacharya, senior deputy director general of the Broadband India Forum (BIF), at IMC.

The Indian Space Association (ISpA) echoed this sentiment. “We strongly recommend that spectrum allocation be expedited,” said Anil Kumar Bhatt, director general of ISpA. “Any delay only increases the opportunity cost for players preparing to launch these services.”