As SpaceX’s satellite internet service prepares to enter one of the world’s largest digital markets – subject to it receiving its own authorisations to sell Starlink in India – implications extend far beyond simple market competition. It can potentially revolutionise how millions of Indians access the internet, according to a report in The Economic Times.
India’s internet infrastructure currently resembles a complex mosaic. In urban centres, fibre optic connections delivered by major telecom players like Reliance Jio, Bharti Airtel and BSNL form the backbone. However, the true challenge lies in India’s vast rural expanse, where about 65 per cent of the population resides.
The last mile – that critical final leg connecting trunk infrastructure to individual homes – relies on several technologies:
Fibre to the home (FTTH): Limited primarily to affluent urban areas and new residential developments, offering speeds up to 1 gbps.
Fixed wireless: Popular in tier II cities and some rural areas, utilising 4G LTE or microwave technology to deliver broadband without physical cables.
Mobile data: By which crores of Indians use smartphones with 4G connections as their primary internet gateway, with Jio’s aggressive pricing having dramatically expanded access since 2016.
Public wifi hotspots: Where government initiatives like PM-WANI (Wi-Fi Access Network Interface) aim to establish community internet access points.
Starlink’s low Earth orbit (LEO) satellite constellation offers a fundamentally different approach to internet delivery. By beaming connectivity directly from space, Starlink bypasses traditional infrastructure limitations that have hampered India’s rural connectivity. Starlink tech could provide high-speed internet (100+ Mbps) to remote villages where laying fibre or erecting cell towers remains economically unfeasible.
