Starlink broadband in India: Check release date, pre-booking details, plans, prices and other details

Elon Musk’s Starlink broadband service is likely to roll out in India from December next year. Starlink is expected to provide high-speed data service to Indian customers. The tech giant is working to extend broadband services in rural areas, so we can expect to get its service in both the urban and rural areas.

As per the data released by popular speed test app company Ookla, the Starlink satellite broadband speeds are faster than the wired broadband speed averages in some countries.

Starlink release date

According to reports, SpaceX’s Starlink is planning to launch the broadband service in India with two lakh active terminals by December 2022 after it gets the necessary licenses. The company president Gwynne Shotwell said that SpaceX has deployed about 1800 satellites and once those satellites reach their operational orbit, they will provide global coverage by September 2021.

Starlink price in India, activation kit

The company will take a deposit of $99, which is around Rs 7,350 from each user during the beta testing stage. Starlink will provide data at the speed of 50 to 150 megabytes per second.

The Starlink users will get a Wi-Fi router, power supply, cables, and mounting tripod in the Starlink kit after activation. You can determine the best location for the installation of Starlink with the help of the Starlink app for iOS and Android.

Starlink pre-orders

SpaceX’s Starlink internet service is currently available for pre-order in India. However, the company is currently running the service in a beta-testing phase. Interested customers can get information about the availability of the service in their area through Starlink’s official website. 

The pre-orders are available in Ahmedabad (Gujarat), Tadepalligudem (Andhra Pradesh), and Indore (Madhya Pradesh) for a limited number of users as the website has listed a ‘First Come First-Served Basis’ caption.

Sanjay Bhargava, India Country Director of Starlink said that he had received more than 5000 pre-orders from India for the broadband service.

Starlink vs Jio vs Airtel

SpaceX’s internet provider service Starlink will compete against the existing telecom service providers of India like Reliance Jio, Bharti Airtel, and Vodafone Idea. Starlink says that the service is ideally suited for areas of the globe where connectivity has typically been a challenge. The company is also trying to expand broadband internet connectivity in rural areas.

Meanwhile, the Department of Telecommunications (DoT) has asked SpaceX to get the necessary licenses as per the country’s laws before it starts offering any service in India.