Is Starlink coming to India? Elon Musk takes on Mukesh Ambani’s Reliance Jio
By Gargi Chaudhry | First Published Nov 13, 2024, 9:04 AM ISTElon Musk's Starlink aims to disrupt India's internet landscape, challenging giants like Airtel and Jio. With India boasting the world's cheapest internet, Musk's entry into this competitive market hinges on securing necessary licenses and navigating regulatory hurdles.
Elon Musk's Starlink, a game-changer for internet customers in the most populous nation in the world, is expected to be the next big thing in India's telecom and internet industry. In addition to the national carrier BSNL, Elon Musk will be competing with industry titans like Sunil Bharti Mittal's Airtel and Mukesh Ambani's Jio to provide Indian consumers ultra-high speed access. It remains to be seen if he would be able to beat Jio and Airtel on price.
Right now, India offers the cheapest broadband and WiFi internet prices in the world. The richest person in the world right now, Elon Musk, could want to go into the most competitive internet data market in the world.
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According to the telecom minister today, Starlink, which uses satellite constellations in near-Earth orbit to provide wireless internet service, is currently pursuing the necessary security clearances for a license to provide satellite broadband services in India. Should it meet the requirements outlined, it should receive a permit. Following New Delhi's announcement last month that it will grant satellite broadband spectrum administratively rather than through an auction, as Elon Musk had requested, Starlink's long-term aspirations to join India received a significant boost. Mukesh Ambani, a rival Indian telecom mogul, has requested an auction.
Mukesh Ambani's Reliance Jio currently dominates India's broadband market with more than 14 million wired subscribers. Nearly 500 million people utilize Jio's mobile internet service. Nearly 300 million people use Airtel's broadband service. They are worried that, as satellite technology develops, they might lose clients to Elon Musk's Starlink, despite having already spent over $20 billion on spectrum auctions.
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