Starlink entry in india 

Friends, these days everyone is talking about the partnership that Jio & airtel has formed with Starlink. People on social media are buzzing about Starlink and are very excited. But what exactly is Starlink? What is its cost? What are its benefits? Who should use Starlink? Who is it meant for? I’m going to explain all these things in this blog. 

What is Starlink ?

Look, there are many types of internet. Mobile internet comes to your phone as 3G, 4G, or 5G. The second type is broadband – which is connected via cable from a data center to your office or home. Basically, this is wired internet. Fiber-optic uses strands of glass or plastic to transmit data as light, delivering very high speeds and low latency where available. This type is used for business-to-business communications. Next is satellite connectivity: just as your home has a modem for broadband, for satellite internet or Starlink you need a receiver. With this receiver, you directly connect to the satellite and receive internet from thousands of kilometers up. So what is Starlink? Starlink is a satellite internet constellation developed by SpaceX. So far, SpaceX has launched more than approximately 4,500 satellites, which mainly include the Starlink satellites. It is similar to a satellite phone, but used solely for internet access.

What are the plans of Starlink?

"In the US, if you look at the plans, there is a Standard Kit, a Mini Kit, and a larger kit for business if you need higher speeds. The Standard Kit plan is the biggest disadvantage. If you think that Starlink is for home or individual use, then that is completely mistaken, it is not for you. It is essentially for business-to-business use because the installation cost can be between 20,000 to 30,000 rupees. The Standard Kit includes mounting accessories similar to a TV antenna, available in various sizes.

The Mini Kit is for mobile use, and you can use it with a roam plan. Its setup is easy. This service is used by people in 125 countries around the world, and the plans differ everywhere.

Now, in the US, plans start at $50, ranging from $50 to $160. When converted, this translates to a monthly cost of about 5,000 to between 15,000 and 20,000 rupees. Consider that even in India, even if it is marketed as very cheap, I believe you would still have a basic monthly expense of around 3,500 to 4,000 rupees." 

What is the speed?

Generally, you will get speeds between 50 to 200 Mbps. The first thing to understand is that this is not high-speed internet, but high-speed satellite internet. Understand these two things: among the speeds available for satellite internet, Starlink's internet speed is higher. That means within satellite internet, Starlink offers faster speeds. However, when compared to other internet services, its speed is lower. For example, mobile internet speeds range from 10 Mbps to 1 Gbps, and broadband speeds range from 100 Mbps to 1 Gbps. But Starlink's internet speed is only between 50 Mbps and 250 Mbps.

When you're browsing, downloading, and doing many other things, if you have a large business center, it definitely offers an advantage. This means that for the average 90% of people, it might not be suitable. However, it provides global coverage. The strength of Starlink is that it can deliver the internet to every corner of the world, and it works exceptionally well even in difficult conditions, providing you with global coverage."

Jio and Airtel Partnership

"In other countries, Starlink has launched its own offices and started direct sales. However, in India, at this time, instead of building its own infrastructure, Starlink has decided to partner with local companies like Jio and Airtel. The main reasons are as follows:

• Government regulations and approvals: In India, the necessary government approvals and regulations for Starlink are still a challenge.
• Infrastructure limitations: In a large market like India, it would take many years to build its own infrastructure (offices, service centers).
• Benefits of local partnerships: Jio and Airtel already have extensive infrastructure (8-10 thousand offices, retail stores), which allows services to be provided more quickly and at lower costs.
• Cost savings: Local partnerships help keep internet prices low, as Starlink will not need to build extensive infrastructure on its own.

This partnership will also assist in the government approval process, and both partners will operate in their respective market segments (Jio Rural Connectivity, Airtel B2B).