SpaceX sets up shop to roll out satellite broadband division Starlink in India

Starlink, Elon Musk-owned SpaceX’s satellite internet arm, registered its business in India on November 1, according to an Al Jazeera report. The company, Starlink Satellite Communications Private Limited, will now be able to apply for licenses and open bank accounts in the country, the report added.

A local unit is necessary before the firm can start providing broadband and other satellite-based communication services. Starlink, if and when it gets the license, plans to offer 2,00,000 active terminals in over 1,60,000 districts by December 2022, TechCrunch wrote. The company, as of August, has shipped 100,000 user terminals in 14 countries. 

Starlink is a company that leverages small satellites, launched into space to form a low-Earth orbiting (LEO) network, which provides low-latency broadband internet services around the world, focusing on remote areas that are difficult to reach via land. Some of its competitors include Amazon’s Project Kuiper and OneWeb, with stakes owned by the British government and Sunil Mittal’s Bharti Enterprises.

The idea of using satellites to provide broadband services is likely to receive a fillip with this announcement. The move implies that Starlink will soon be able to start providing its services which may reduce the costs of delivering broadband in rural areas without a terrestrial internet link and thus, make the sector more competitive.

What are Starlink’s plans for India?

Starlink intends to dabble in the business of telecommunication services including satellite broadband internet services, content storage and streaming, multimedia communication, among others, Al Jazeera explained. “It will also deal in devices such as satellite phones, network equipment, wired and wireless communication devices, as well as data transmission and reception equipment,” Al Jazeera said in its report.

Starlink will, in the first phase, provide 100 devices for free to schools in Delhi and nearby rural districts. It will then target 12 rural districts across India. Starlink has over 5,000 pre-orders for its devices in India, as per Economic Times.

The company first roped in Sanjay Bhargava as its India head. This was SpaceX’s most direct signal that it is serious about putting in the legwork to enter the country.

What are Starlink’s rivals up to? 

Bharti-backed OneWeb and satellite company Hughes have also been eyeing the Indian market. OneWeb applied for two permits, National Long Distance (NLD) license and a Global Mobile Personal Communication by Satellite (GMPCS) license, ET said in its report.

The satcom company has received a Letter of Intent (LoI) for NLD via satellite. However, it is yet to receive a GMPCS license, ET revealed.  

Also read:

• Will LEO satellite constellations like OneWeb and Starlink come to India?
• Tech, broadband companies in India oppose SpaceX’s Starlink India preorders: Report
• SpaceX urges India to facilitate satellite broadband, hints at bringing Starlink to India
• Bharti-backed OneWeb to partner with ISRO for satellite launches from 2022

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