As Starlink eyes India, Airtel and Jio hope to augment their broadband play

Satellite internet connectivity, or SAT-G as Bharti Enterprises’ founder and chairman Sunil Bharti Mittal calls it, may be closer to being a reality in India than perhaps we realise. The SpaceX owned Starlink internet company has signed agreements with Bharti Airtel and Reliance Jio. The idea is not just technology sharing, but also leveraging the retail presence of two of India’s leading telecom players.

The critical detail here is, Starlink is yet to receive the necessary regulatory approvals in the country. That means Starlink, apart from announcing the partnerships with Bharti Airtel and Reliance Jio, cannot list the products for pre-orders or for sale, cannot direction any active satellite beams within India’s geographical boundaries, and also cannot list any possible pricing structure for subscriptions.

Airtel and Reliance Jio confirm to HT that Starlink’s India pricing is not yet officially available.

Yet, with these partnerships being announced in quick succession, one would expect Starlink must be close to receiving regulatory approvals. “We are looking forward to receiving authorisation from the Government of India to provide more people, organisations and businesses with access to Starlink’s high-speed internet services,” said Gwynne Shotwell, president and chief operating officer (COO), at SpaceX.

Also Read: Jio announces pact to offer Starlink’s broadband internet services in India

Earlier today, Mittal called on satellite players and telecom companies to work together, combining their strengths. “I have no doubt the satellite and the telecom industry globally will respond to my call to combine their strengths. For the telecom industry, the addition of satellite technology should be no different from bringing new technologies to its customers,” he said.

“Just like 4G, 5G, and 6G in the future, we will now have one more technology in our mix, i.e. SAT-G. Soon customers will be able to carry their mobiles to the remotest part of the world, with them in the skies and blue oceans,” Mittal added. Airtel would hope Starlink compliments their broadband product portfolio including 5G NSA or non-standalone network, fiber broadband under Xstream branding, 5G fixed wireless access or FWA called Xstream AirFiber, as well as the upcoming IPTV or internet protocol television services. Jio also has the Jio Fiber and Jio AirFiber broadband products, alongside the 5G SA or standalone mobile networks.

How Airtel and Jio envision the Starlink partnership

The contours of Airtel’s agreement with Starlink will mean leveraging the former’s retail footprint in the country — easier access to retail consumers, as well as enterprise customers, communities, schools, as well as medicare facilities, than it otherwise may have been. Airtel says Starlink will be able to leverage their existing ground network infrastructure too, while Starlink will assist in expanding Airtel’s broadband and mobile network across telecom circles.

Also Read: Airtel and Reliance lose early market gains from Starlink partnership after IT stocks drag markets down

“This collaboration enhances our ability to bring world-class high-speed broadband to even the most remote parts of India, ensuring that every individual, business, and community has reliable internet. Starlink will complement and enhance Airtel’s suite of products to ensure reliable and affordable broadband for our Indian customers – wherever they live and work,” said Gopal Vittal, managing director and vice chairman, Bharti Airtel Ltd., in a statement.

Jio says they will make Starlink’s connectivity products and solutions available across their online and offline retail presence, as well as for enterprises and small or medium businesses. Jio also confirms that they’ll establish a mechanism to support customer service, installation and activation of Starlink’s services for customers.

“Our collaboration with SpaceX to bring Starlink to India strengthens our commitment and marks a transformative step toward seamless broadband connectivity for all. By integrating Starlink into Jio’s broadband ecosystem, we are expanding our reach and enhancing the reliability and accessibility of high-speed broadband in this AI-driven era, empowering communities and businesses across the country,” said Mathew Oommen, group chief executive officer (CEO), Reliance Jio, in a statement.

Also Read: Airtel eyes wider retail and enterprise broadband portfolio with Starlink partnership

“Satellite broadband has the potential to expand connectivity, bridge the digital divide, unlock new economic possibilities, and foster digital inclusion. Over the short to long term, a confluence of technological breakthroughs, affordable service models, and supportive government policies can unlock the transformative potential of satellite broadband for India,” Prabhu Ram, head for industry intelligence group at Cyber Media Research (CMR), told HT earlier.

Starlink’s magic lies in a satellite constellation

Wires can only be drawn so far. To the nearest telecom tower for 3G, 4G or 5G mobile networks. Or to indoor spaces, for wired broadband to create a Wi-Fi network for PCs and phones. That physical limitation is represented in the International Telecom Union (ITU) numbers, which indicate approximately 68% of the world’s population, that’s around 5.5 billion people, are now online in some form. As of 2024, an estimated 2.6 billion people still remain offline. That’s a big gap.

It isn’t easy to deploy last-mile infrastructure, particularly in difficult terrain and more so in lower income countries (terrain, not necessarily a limitation here; return on investment more so). When it comes to investments, less is often more. In this case, internet connectivity beamed from the sky by satellites that are closer to earth, can create a coverage envelope much quicker than with on-ground infrastructure.

That is a simple, yet complex premise of satellite broadband, a template used by SpaceX’s Starlink, Eutelsat OneWeb that’s also backed by Bharti Airtel, HughesNet by Hughes Communications, as well as Amazon’s Kuiper which is expected to activate its first satellite constellation this year, and subsequently roll out services in parts of the world.

Also Read: Could Europe’s Eutelsat help to replace Starlink in Ukraine?

Think of satellite internet as a melding between how you access mobile broadband on your phones wirelessly from a tower, and how you may receive direct to home (DTH) television service from a satellite to your home with a dish antenna. In homes, offices, and static locations, an outdoor unit would receive signals from a satellite overhead which is connected via a networking cable to a Wi-Fi router that sits indoors.

There are different types of satellite that are being used for delivering internet and voice. Starlink uses LEO, or Low Earth Orbit satellites. Starlink’s constellation, at this time, consists of 6750 satellites, at a distance of around 550km from earth — by far the biggest constellation of its kind. LEO satellites operate in space at 2,000 km or less, above the earth’s surface, are comparatively less costly owing to smaller sizes, but potentially shorter life spans.

The satellites use Ku-Band and E-Band antennas beaming signals earthward, which are received by the Starlink antennas installed outdoors in homes or other establishments. These are connected to a router that sits indoors, creating a Wi-Fi network.

“Most satellite internet services come from single geostationary satellites that orbit the planet at 35,786 km. As a result, the round-trip data time between the user and satellite, also known as latency, is high, making it nearly impossible to support streaming, online gaming, video calls or other high data rate activities,” they point out in an explainer on their website.

Since Starlink satellites are in a low orbit, that is closer to earth and thereby each user’s outdoor receiving unit, this latency is significantly lower. The claimed difference could be as much as Starlink’s 25 millisecond range, compared with 600 milliseconds that MEO (Medium Earth Orbit) or GEO (Geostationary) satellites may deliver.

The small matter of big pricing?

The India pricing, or product specifics, are as yet unknown.

Pricing of any new technology is always steep. But we also see that it’s costs fall sharply upon adoption. There was a time just 15-20 years back when cellular was out of bounds for many who are using it on daily basis. Initially the price would be high, making it accessible to a niche segment but then eventually it’ll widen access and acceptability,” explained Faisal Kawoosa, chief analyst at research firm Techarc.

Starlink, in countries where they have the necessary approvals, can sell broadband services for homes, businesses as well as a portable product called Roam, which is portable. The Starlink antenna options include Starlink Mini (this is portable, and key to Roam), Starlink Standard, Starlink Standard Actuated, High Performance, Flat High Performance and Enterprise. The differences are in terms of size of the antenna, optional motorised orientation flexibility of installation.

For instance, the key difference between Standard and Standard Actuated options, is the use of a kickstand for antenna docking in the former and a more elaborate base used by the latter.

At this time, Starlink’s products for retail cost upwards of $80 (around ₹6,792) per month for fixed connectivity in homes and businesses in the US. Speeds can range between 25Mbps and 500Mbps, depending on type of service plan.

In 2022, Starlink was asked by Indian authorities to close pre-orders for the satellite service, and refund pre-orders received till then. Starlink, in 2021, had begun to accept preorders from potential buyers in India, for US$99 (around ₹7,200 based on currency conversion rates at the time). The promise then, was of a priority slot with installation and activated once services went live.

In comparison, Airtel Xstream Fiber broadband prices range between ₹499 per month and ₹3,999 per month, with speeds ranging between 40Mbps and 1Gbps. If a user chooses the Xstream AirFiber wireless product that delivers internet via 5G, prices range between ₹699 and ₹899 per month for speeds between 40Mbps and 100Mbps.

JioFiber broadband plans also cost between ₹399 per month and ₹3,999 per month, with speeds ranging between 40Mbps and 1Gbps. The Jio AirFiber subscription plans are priced between ₹599 and ₹3,999 for speeds between 30Mbps and 1Gbps.

A methodology of partnerships

Globally, Starlink has similar agreements in place.

In Japan, Starlink partnered with mobile service provider KDDI in 2022, to extend connectivity to rural areas through 1,200 remote mobile towers. In Canada, Rogers Communications signed an agreement in 2023 to use Starlink for satellite-to-phone services, to improve coverage in remote regions. New Zealand’s One NZ (earlier, Vodafone New Zealand) also has an agreement with Starlink since 2023 to achieve complete mobile network coverage in the country.

“We are constantly amazed by the incredible and inspiring things that people, businesses and organisations do when they are connected via Starlink,” said Shotwell.

Australia’s Optus, Telkomsat in Indonesia, Africa Mobile Networks in Nigeria and the Namibia-based Paratus Group to distribute Starlink services across multiple African countries including Mozambique, Kenya, Rwanda, and Nigeria, are examples of similar agreements.