Starlink: The government has taken a big decision in India on the services of Allen Musk’s satellite internet company Starlink. Union Minister of State for Telecommunications Pammasani Chandrashekhar said that only 2 million users have been approved in India and its maximum speed will be limited to 200MBPS. This decision has been taken denying the impact on BSNL and other telecom companies.
Focus in rural areas
According to the government, Starlink’s services will especially target remote and rural areas, where BSNL has a strong hold at the moment. However, the initial cost of these services can be very high and customers may have to spend up to Rs 3,000 every month.
BSNL 4G expansion complete
The Union Minister said that the rollout of 4G services of BSNL has been completed and there is no plan to increase the tariff at the moment. He said that “We want to hold the market first, so no rates will be increased yet.”
Found official license
India’s Space Agency Inspace has given Starlink a license to provide satellite based internet service in the country. Now the company can start internet services in Indian territory through its Starlink Gen1 constellation. This license will be valid for five years. Now only spectrum fees and telecom department approval remains.
TRAI’s new proposal
TRAI has suggested a new framework for satellite internet services under which companies like Starlink will have to pay 4 percent of their revenue to the government as a fee. This fee can be added to an additional burden of up to Rs 500 per customer in urban areas. However, no additional fee is proposed for rural areas.
Through this step, the government wants to promote technological development and rural connectivity, but at the same time it is ensuring that domestic telecom companies do not have to face any kind of unbalanced competition.
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