Starlink’s high prices likely to keep India a niche market for satellite broadband

Despite the challenges, Bharti Airtel and Jio Platforms have announced partnerships with SpaceX to bring Starlink’s high-speed satellite internet service to India

Starlink’s satellite-based broadband service is unlikely to gain mainstream adoption in India in the medium term due to its prohibitively high pricing, particularly for rural markets, analysts said, adding that the high pricing will likely position it as a premium service, complementary to FWA and Fiber services largely for small business users.

They added that the service is priced 10-14 times higher than offerings from major broadband providers Reliance Jio and Bharti Airtel, making it difficult for low-earth orbit (LEO) satellite providers to compete without government subsidies.

Bernstein noted that Starlink’s pricing carries a 9-175% premium over local broadband operators in key Asian markets, excluding the already high upfront equipment costs. This poses scalability challenges, particularly in India, which has the lowest data costs globally.

“Current Starlink pricing plans are considerably higher across APAC. We expect Starlink offerings to be positioned as premium services,” Bernstein stated.

The high cost of customer premises equipment (CPE), exceeding $180 (Rs 15,700), further limits affordability. While Starlink can offer speeds up to 200-250 Mbps, Bank of America (BoFA) warned that capacity constraints could emerge due to the limited number of satellites serving India.

“This may limit the target home market in the near term. Currently, we consider satellite broadband a niche offering, given the strong penetration of 5G and fixed wireless access (FWA) in India,” BoFA said.

Despite the challenges, Bharti Airtel and Jio Platforms have announced partnerships with SpaceX to bring Starlink’s high-speed satellite internet service to India. The collaboration aims to enhance connectivity in remote and rural areas, and SpaceX will also supply Starlink equipment and services through Airtel and Jio retail outlets.

Jio has positioned Starlink as a complementary solution to JioAirFiber and JioFiber, extending high-speed internet to the most difficult-to-reach locations. However, Starlink has yet to secure regulatory approvals and spectrum for LEO satellite operations in India.

Citi Research said the tie-ups with Starlink will allow Jio and Bharti Airtel to extend premium telecom services, albeit a premium offering, to underserved remote areas while also expanding their B2B connectivity and enterprise solutions in regions lacking fiber or FWA infrastructure. Additionally, these partnerships reinforce the view that satellite communication complements existing telecom offerings rather than posing a competitive threat to incumbent operators.

“APAC pricing suggests a premium product that will likely keep the retail opportunity niche, focused primarily on business and SME users,” JP Morgan stated, adding that competitive pricing from Indian telcos on FWA could further limit Starlink’s market potential.

In ASEAN markets, Starlink’s plans carry a 100-180% premium over fixed broadband services, with retail plans priced between $45-$100 (Rs 4,000-Rs 8700) and even higher for businesses.

“We expect these prices will primarily target select business users in difficult-to-serve terrains,” JP Morgan added.

Axis Capital also believes satellite broadband is unlikely to become mainstream in India, as FWA has already addressed many fiber constraints. The premium price and costly CPE make Starlink more suitable for niche high-speed connectivity needs rather than mass adoption.

SpaceX, which operates over 60% of global satellites, has launched more than 7,000 Starlink satellites and now serves 4 million subscribers, adding approximately 60,000 users per week. In the U.S., T-Mobile, with roughly 120 million subscribers, is expected to launch a direct-to-cell beta by early to mid-2025. Analysts believe SpaceX will likely collaborate with other telecom operators for direct-to-cell services.

Disclaimer: Moneycontrol is a part of the Network18 group. Network18 is controlled by Independent Media Trust, of which Reliance Industries is the sole beneficiary.