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Business Standard
4 days ago
- Business
- Business Standard
Vi partners with AST SpaceMobile for direct-to-cell satcom in India
Debt-ridden telecom operator Vodafone Idea (Vi) on Wednesday announced that it has joined hands with US-based AST SpaceMobile in a partnership aimed at delivering space-based mobile broadband services to smartphones across the country. Under the agreement, Vi will oversee terrestrial network integration, operating spectrum, and market access, while AST SpaceMobile will develop, manufacture, and manage the satellite constellation powering the system. 'This collaboration is poised to be the frontier of global space technology and both companies will use data and applications to connect. Together, Vi and AST SpaceMobile will explore and implement commercial offerings for diverse sectors,' Vi said in a stock exchange filing. The latest tie-up marks the third and final private sector telecom company to officially enter the unfolding satcom race. In March, Bharti Airtel and Reliance Jio announced separate deals with Elon Musk's Starlink to distribute Starlink equipment and services in India. Vi expects the collaboration to unlock new possibilities for emergency response, disaster management, agriculture, and other sectors. AST SpaceMobile first launched five satellites into space as part of a mission called BlueBird 1–5 in July last year. It has since reportedly revealed plans to deploy up to 60 more satellites over the next six to nine months, through five launches. The company currently provides nationwide non-continuous service across the US, with over 5,600 cells in premium low-band spectrum and a planned tenfold increase in processing bandwidth. Vi's latest venture will, however, require a Global Mobile Personal Communication by Satellite (GMPCS) services license to offer satellite-based broadband in India. Earlier this month, Starlink received the license after two-and-a-half years of processing, joining Airtel-backed Eutelsat OneWeb and Jio Satellite Communications Ltd as licensed satcom providers in the country. Vi said the partnership will enable direct-to-device satellite connectivity, allowing users to access mobile broadband services in areas where traditional cellular networks are unavailable. 'This will enable direct-to-device satellite connectivity, which means that users will be able to access mobile broadband services in areas where traditional cellular networks are not available. This will be particularly beneficial for people living in remote and rural areas, as well as for emergency response and disaster management. The partnership will also support the government's Digital India vision, which aims to provide universal access to mobile broadband services across the country,' the company added.
Time of India
4 days ago
- Business
- Time of India
Elon Musk's Starlink gets approval to launch India operations: Expected price, hardware requirement and more
Starlink, the satellite internet service owned by Elon Musk's SpaceX, has officially secured operating rights in India, a development confirmed by union minister for communications, Jyotiraditya Scindia, on social media platform X (formerly Twitter). This approval essentially means that Starlink can now provide its services in the competitive Indian telecommunications market. The confirmation follows a "productive meeting" between Scindia and SpaceX president and COO Gwynne Shotwell. Their discussions, as detailed by Scindia on X, "delved into opportunities for collaboration in satellite communications to power Digital India's soaring ambitions and empower every citizen across the country." Shotwell reportedly expressed appreciation for the license, calling it "a great start to the journey." by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like What She Did Mid-Air Left Passengers Speechless medalmerit Learn More Undo This regulatory milestone comes just days after Starlink was issued the Global Mobile Personal Communication by Satellite (GMPCS) permit by the Department of Telecommunications (DoT). Starlink now stands as the third company to receive such a permit, joining Eutelsat OneWeb and Jio Satellite Communications in the race to offer commercial satellite internet services across India. Amazon's Project Kuiper is also poised to enter the market, pending its own regulatory approvals. Starlink's collaboration with Jio, Airtel Telecom giants Airtel and Jio have already announced partnerships with Starlink. These partnerships are crucial, as Jio and Airtel collectively command over 70% of the Indian telecommunications market, providing extensive retail networks for Starlink's equipment distribution and offering customer service, installation, and activation support, particularly in remote and underserved regions. Starlink price in India While there is no official information about the price for the services, a report by The Economic Times last month claimed that Starlink may introduce unlimited data plans in India for less than $10 (approximately Rs 840) per month at promotional rates. It also cited industry experts as saying that despite substantial spectrum and licensing costs, satellite internet providers are likely to adopt a low entry price to rapidly expand their user base, aiming for up to 10 million subscribers in the medium to long term. However, a widespread adoption for Starlink in India may face hurdles, particularly concerning hardware costs. Globally, Starlink's hardware kits range from $250 (approx. Rs 21,300) to $380 (approx. Rs 32,400). This represents a significant upfront investment compared to existing Indian home broadband offerings, which typically feature much lower hardware costs, provide speeds up to 1 Gbps, and often bundle Over-The-Top (OTT) app subscriptions. The Future of Fast Internet: Satellite Tech Explained AI Masterclass for Students. Upskill Young Ones Today!– Join Now
Time of India
5 days ago
- Business
- Time of India
Telcos need not fret, satcom a 'minor complementary' service: Chandra Sekhar Pemmasani
NEW DELHI: Satellite-based communication or satcom can offer 'semi-complementary services' to the existing terrestrial networks deployed by telecom carriers who should not be troubled by the developments, the Minister of State for Communications Chandra Sekhar Pemmasani said. "Due to multiple reasons, the satellite services would not even be an alternative (to a terrestrial network). It's a minor complementary, and not even a major complementary service," Pemmasani told ETTelecom, adding that "there is no need to worry" about it. Incumbent carriers -- Reliance Jio , Bharti Airtel , and Vodafone Idea -- have been demanding a level-playing field with non-terrestrial or space broadband providers such as billionaire Elon Musk's Stalink, arguing that they have spent more than ₹5.5 lakh crores alone in acquiring spectrum, and according to a study, have been investing between ₹70,000 to 80,000 crores annually in capex, for network upgrades and expansion. Jio-SES and Bharti-Eutelsat OneWeb, who have already received a global mobile personal communications by satellite services (GMPCS) permit by the Department of Telecommunications (DoT), are also in fray to offer satellite-centric commercial connectivity services in the Indian market. "There are two generations of satellites. What we have given license for is the first generation of satellites. The first generation satellites are limited in number," Pemmasani said, while allaying fears of telecom service providers. Following a limited capacity, he said that first-generation satellites offer digital connectivity only inside premises. Starlink can provide a maximum of up to 20 lakh (2 million) connections, which, according to him, would be an upper cap for every space broadband service provider vying for the Indian market. "The connections are distributed throughout India. So the predominant terrestrial networks are in the urban area. It's probably a very limited number of connections that they can give. So, this is more helpful in the rural areas, where it could serve as a backup and decent connection for rural entrepreneurs." Recently, the Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (Trai) chairman Anil Kumar Lahoti said that there was "no question of a level-playing field" between the terrestrial and non-terrestrial network operators, and there is a huge Internet capacity gap between the two. "The capacity of a typical satcom provider in terms of internet service is in the order of maybe 0.5 to 1 or 2% of the capacity of a typical large terrestrial service provider. So, there is no question of a level playing field. It is a complimentary service," Lahoti earlier said. Pammasami said that the new space broadband technology could have a cost barrier, and the telecom operators would continue to offer better data speeds backed by robust optical fibre networks. The US-based Starlink's pricing for India is fixed at ₹33,000 for terminal installation. "Subscribers may have to pay ₹3,000, which is close to 8 to 10 fold of the regular subscriber cost," he added. India's telecom sector average revenue per user remains one of the lowest worldwide, with subscribers spending around ₹200 (about $2.35) monthly. SpaceX-owned Starlink has more than 60 lakh (6 million) connections worldwide, while India's incumbent telcos have as many as 120 crore (1.2 billion) subscribers. The minister also ruled out the possibility of offering any subsidy to end users, and said that non-terrestrial service providers such as Starlink might offer a model where upfront cost could be subsidised under a 2 to 3-year contract with customers, to tap the country's rural and remote regions. While Musk's Starlink has recently secured a license to operate in India while Jeff Bezos-owned rival Amazon 's Kuiper Systems is also eying an India debut.
Time of India
5 days ago
- Business
- Time of India
Jyotiraditya Scindia meets SpaceX president, calls satcom India's next connectivity frontier
Communications Minister Jyotiraditya Scindia met with SpaceX officials, including Gwynne Shotwell, to explore collaboration opportunities in satellite communications. Starlink, having received a satcom license, aims to support India's digital ambitions. The company awaits further approvals and spectrum allocation to begin offering broadband-from-space services, joining Eutelsat OneWeb and Reliance Jio-SES in the growing satcom market. Tired of too many ads? Remove Ads Tired of too many ads? Remove Ads Terming satcom as India's next frontier in connectivity, Communications Minister Jyotiraditya Scindia on Tuesday met top officials at Elon Musk-owned SpaceX to discuss opportunities for collaboration to power the country's digital ambitions through transformative satellite technologies Starlink , which has been granted a satcom licence by the government, called it a great start to the journey.'Had a productive meeting with Ms. @Gwynne_Shotwell, President & COO of @SpaceX, on India's next frontier in connectivity,' Scindia said on social networking site said they delved into opportunities for collaboration in satellite communications to power Digital India 's soaring ambitions and empower every citizen across the country.'…satellite technologies are not just relevant, they're transformative. Ms. Shotwell appreciated the licence granted to @Starlink, calling it a great start to the journey,' Scindia is the satcom brand of Elon Musk-owned this month, Starlink became the latest entrant in the country's nascent but growing satcom market. The US major has become the third player to get a Global Mobile Personal Communication by Satellite (GMPCS) permit, needed to offer commercial broadband-from-space services. Bharti Group-backed Eutelsat OneWeb and the Reliance Jio-SES satcom joint venture are the first US company now also needs to get approval from space regulator Indian National Space Promotion and Authorization Centre (IN-SPACe) to launch services. With the company having provided all the details needed for clearance, the approval is expected Department of Telecommunications (DoT) is likely to issue trial spectrum to the company in the coming days. Once the spectrum is allocated, Starlink must demonstrate all compliances, including those related to security conditions, to the firm Amazon Kuiper is the only other company currently awaiting approval for a satcom permit. The Jeff Bezos-owned company has written to DoT seeking expedited approval.
India.com
6 days ago
- Business
- India.com
Starlink India Launch BIG Update: Unlimited Data Plans starting at Rs 3000, Setup Kit of Rs…, Airtel and Reliance Jio to…
Starlink India Launch BIG Update New Delhi: After receiving the Global Mobile Personal Communication by Satellite (GMPCS) license from the Department of Telecommunications (DoT), Starlink is all set to launch its services in India. According to the reports, the setup kit is likely to be priced at Rs. 33,000. It is important to note that the setup kit will be required for accessing the satellite communications network. The reports further add that the users may have to spend between Rs. 3,000 and Rs. 4,000 a month if they wish to subscribe to Starlink's unlimited data plans. As per the Business Standard quoting sources, the Starlink's pricing strategy in India will not take into account the massive market size but instead, depend upon the capacity constraints and global costs. The rates are likely to be similar to other markets in the Indian subcontinent, such as Bangladesh and Bhutan, where the satellite communication services are available. Here are some of the key details: SpaceX-owned company's Standard kit will likely be priced at Rs. 33,000. The components which are required to get the satellite-based internet services are the Starlink dish, kickstand, Gen 3 router, Starlink cable, AC cable, and power supply. This kit is meant for residential users for everyday applications, including streaming, video calls, and online gaming. The monthly tariffs are expected to be between Rs. 3,000 and Rs. 4,200 for the plan with unlimited data. Notably, the previously reported price was as low as $10 (roughly Rs. 850) per month. However, it is possible that Starlink plans with a fixed data cap could be priced lower. Following a strategic partnership with both telecom operators which was announced in March, the users will reportedly be able to purchase the Starlink hardware at Airtel and Reliance Jio's retail outlets Further, both Airtel and Jio may leverage the SpaceX-owned company's vast low-Earth orbit satellite constellation to offer internet services in challenging locations, quickly and affordably.
