Satellite internet services to launch in India soon, Elon Musk, Mukesh Ambani, Sunil Mittal have secured..., check expected prices and other details

India is on the verge of a digital transformation as three major players — Elon Musk-led Starlink, Reliance Jio in partnership with SES, and Bharti Airtel-backed Eutelsat OneWeb — have secured the required licenses to operate satellite communication services in the country. These services aim to provide internet and voice connectivity to remote and hard-to-reach areas, where regular telecom networks often fail.

According to media reports, these companies have received approvals from the Indian space regulator, IN-SPACe, with Starlink becoming the latest to join the list. It received its GMPCS (Global Mobile Personal Communication by Satellite) permit last month, after Eutelsat OneWeb and Jio-SES JV.

However, the actual launch of satellite internet services depends on spectrum allocation — a process that has seen delays. The Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI) submitted its recommendations in May, but further steps remain. The Department of Telecommunications (DoT) is expected to finalize its recommendations by August and send them to the Digital Communications Commission (DCC). After that, the proposals will go to the Union Cabinet for approval. If all goes as planned, the spectrum allocation process is expected to begin by October.

Once the spectrum is allocated, companies are likely to start commercial operations within a month. That means satellite internet services may become available in India by late November or early December.

As for pricing, official rates have not yet been revealed. However, reports suggest Starlink may charge around Rs 1.58 lakh for the first year, which includes a one-time equipment cost of Rs 37,400 and monthly service fees of Rs 7,425. The cost is expected to drop to Rs 1.15 lakh in the second year as users won’t need to buy the device again.