Sunil Mittal on Starlink partnership: SAT-G will be as integral to Connectivity as 4G, 5G, and 6G

Sunil Bharti Mittal, Founder and Chairman, Bharti Enterprise

A day after Airtel inked a strategic pact with Elon Musk's Starlink for high-speed internet in India, Bharti Enterprises Chairman Sunil Bharti Mittal lauded it as "new era of seamless global connectivity beckons." He said that the satellite technology will be a boon for consumers. "Soon customers will be able to carry their mobiles to the remotest part of the world, with them in the skies and blue oceans."

As per the pact announced, Airtel and SpaceX will look at devising an integration roadmap. SpaceX is also likely to see ways to utilizes on-ground infrastructure of Airtel across India.

"For the telecom industry, the addition of satellite technology should be no different from bringing new technologies to its customers. Just like 4G, 5G, and 6G in the future, we will now have one more technology in our mix, i.e. SAT-G," Mittal added.

Also Read: Jio signs deal with SpaceX to bring Starlink's internet services to India

The statement by the Airtel boss comes days after his call at the Mobile World Congress (MWC) 2025 in Barcelona for the telecom and satellite industries regarding internet expansion. Recalling the 2017 appeal, Mittal spoke about how that call had led to lowering of the roaming charges around the world.

On Wednesday, Jio Platforms Ltd also announced an agreement with Elon Musk's SpaceX to launch Starlink's internet services in the country. Jio will offer Starlink solutions via its online storefronts as well as retail outlets. The company plans to provide Starlink equipment in its physical stores.