Why now? Bharti Airtel and Reliance Jio have signed separate deals with Elon Musk’s SpaceX to bring the Starlink internet service to India. SpaceX has applied for a security clearance with the Indian government, but its application is currently undergoing review at the Home Ministry. What is it? Starlink is a network of satellites that provides internet. It is operated by SpaceX, which is Musk’s aerospace company. Launched in 2019, Starlink aims to shoot 42,000 small satellites into space, forming a globe-encircling ring just 547 km overhead. Currently, the telecommunication project has around 7,000 mass-produced small satellites in low Earth orbit (LEO) — an orbit that is under altitudes of 2,000 km. By the end of 2024, Starlink had more than 4.6 million users in over 100 countries. Last year, the company witnessed rapid growth as it started 2024 with 2.3 million users globally. In the United States, Starlink offers speeds up to 220 Mbps. However, the service is quite expensive. It starts with “$120 monthly for the standard home internet service, plus $349, give or take a hundred bucks, for the equipment needed to get started,” according to a report by CNET. The monthly rate on mobile service is cheaper but the expected speeds are slower. How does satellite Internet work? Satellite Internet operates by sending signals from the user’s device to a satellite in space, which then passes on the data to a ground station connected to the Internet. The ground station retrieves the requested data and sends it back through the satellite to the user’s dish, completing the connection. This whole process does not require cable, fibre or phone lines. The user just needs a modem and a satellite dish. The modem needs to be connected to that dish to translate the incoming signal into a workable internet connection. Why are the Starlink deals significant? Starlink can provide a practical solution for broadband in underserved areas in India, where the traditional ways to deliver the Internet — fibre-optic cables or wireless networks — are scarce or unavailable. It can help bridge the digital divide by bringing high-speed Internet to the remotest corners of the country. Although India is the world's second-largest Internet market, more than 670 million of its 1.4 billion people have no access to the Internet, according to a 2024 report by GSMA, a trade body representing mobile network operators worldwide. After signing the deal with Starlink, Bharti Airtel in a statement said, “By adding Starlink… to its offerings, Airtel will further its ability to offer nationwide connectivity and connect previously underserved areas, particularly those with limited to no coverage today”.
