After Airtel, Mukesh Ambani's Jio sign deal with Elon Musk's SpaceX to bring Starlink to India: Know how much will it cost, internet speed, other details

After Airtel, Jio Platforms Limited (JPL) announced an agreement with SpaceX to offer Starlink's broadband internet services to its customers in India. The company on Wednesday stated that this agreement, which is subject to SpaceX receiving its authorizations to sell Starlink in India, enables Jio and SpaceX to explore how Starlink can extend Jio's offerings and how Jio can complement SpaceX's direct offerings to consumers and businesses.  

Through this agreement, the parties will leverage Jio's position as the world's largest mobile operator in terms of data traffic and Starlink's position as the world's leading low Earth orbit satellite constellation operator to deliver reliable broadband services across the country, including the most rural and remote regions of India.

Similarly, Airtel's collaboration with SpaceX allows the telecom behemoth to provide businesses and corporations with high-speed satellite internet while distributing Starlink equipment via its retail network.  In keeping with Airtel's objective to close India's digital divide, the partnership also seeks to increase internet connectivity in remote areas, healthcare facilities, and rural schools.

How much will Elon Musk's Starlink cost in India?

In comparison to India, where the typical monthly internet cost is between Rs 700 and Rs 1,500, Starlink's gear now costs between Rs 25,000 and Rs 35,000, and a monthly subscription is projected to cost between Rs 5,000 and Rs 7,000.  SpaceX may need to work with government-backed digital inclusion initiatives or implement pricing tailored to India to encourage broad adoption.

Agreements between Jio, Airtel, and SpaceX depend on gaining the required Indian government approvals. If approved, these collaborations have the potential to revolutionise internet access across the country, helping underprivileged communities, schools, businesses, and healthcare providers. India is about to take a significant step towards digital inclusion now that Starlink has the backing of the two biggest telecom companies in the nation.

Bhutan’s Starlink Plans:
Residential Lite Plan – Nu 3,000 (₹3,001 approx.) per month
Speeds: 23 Mbps to 100 Mbps
Suitable for casual browsing, social media, and video streaming.

Standard Residential Plan – Nu 4,200 (₹4,201 approx.) per month
Speeds: 25 Mbps to 110 Mbps
Offers unlimited data usage for gaming, HD streaming, and video conferencing.

Pricing and speeds will probably be competitive with those of other satellite broadband companies, such as Jio-SES and OneWeb, which Bharti supports, if Starlink starts in India. Starlink's plans might be a little more costly than those in Bhutan because of India's 30% higher tax on foreign digital services; they might start at Rs 3,500 to Rs 4,500 per month.