Source:- The Hans India
On Monday, Indian users of Elon Musk’s satellite internet service Starlink’s India were shocked when its website showed prices that were much higher than those of regular broadband providers. The company later said that the numbers were not real and were posted by mistake, but the short time they were up was enough to get people talking on social media.
The numbers on the website said that Starlink’s satellite-based internet service in India costs Rs 8600 a month. Also, there was a one-time fee of Rs 34000 for the hardware that was needed.
As soon as these prices were posted online, people started comparing them to the much cheaper broadband and mobile data plans that Indian companies like Airtel and Reliance Jio offer. Starlink quickly took down the information as more questions and criticism came in.
Starlink’s India Pricing Sparks Debate
Lauren Dreyer, who is the Vice President of Starlink Business Operations, said on X that the Starlink India website is not currently live. She made it clear that the company is not taking any orders in India and that the prices for Indian customers have not yet been announced. Dreyer said that a problem with the configuration made some fake test data visible for a short time.
She made it clear that the numbers you see online do not show what Starlink will charge in India in the end. She also said that the problem was fixed quickly after it was found and that the company is excited to bring high-speed satellite internet to the country as soon as all the necessary government approvals are in place.
Earlier in the day, Starlink’s India website said that its service would be up more than ninety-nine point nine percent of the time and would work well in all kinds of weather. The company stressed that the installation process is easy and that customers only need to plug in the device to start using it. There was also a thirty-day trial period and unlimited data on the list of features.
Still, the numbers that showed up for a short time were much higher than the current internet rates that Indian consumers pay. The cost per gigabyte in the mobile data market has dropped to some of the lowest levels in the world. Major carriers are now offering unlimited 5G plans for less than Rs 400 a month. Airtel’s basic home broadband plan on optical fiber costs Rs 499 per month and has a speed of 40 MBPS. The company also gives you access to more than twenty OTT apps for Rs 599 a month. It costs about Rs 1500 to install home broadband, which is paid for in advance and then added to future bills.
For speeds up to 30 MBPS, Reliance Jio’s home broadband plans start at Rs 399 per month. The company charges a one-time installation fee of Rs 2500, of which Rs 1500 is refundable as security. The big difference between these prices and the numbers Starlink briefly showed made people wonder if its consumer-level services would work in a price-sensitive market like India.
But even though people are talking more and more about it, Starlink is still a long way from saying when its services will be available. The government still hasn’t set aside any spectrum for satellite communication. The Telecom Regulatory Authority of India and the Department of Telecommunications are still talking about how much satcom operators will have to pay. No satellite-based internet service can start doing business in the country until this problem is fixed.
Still, Starlink’s India has started to lay the groundwork for its eventual entry. The company is starting to hire people for its operations in India and is working on the necessary ground infrastructure. It also needs to get permission from law enforcement to be able to intercept communications and protect people’s privacy.
Experts in the field think that Starlink’s India may want to set up shop in cities, but its first customers may be in remote rural areas where terrestrial networks are weak or don’t exist at all. The service is also expected to be very popular in specialized fields like defense, maritime operations, mining, and business connectivity.
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