NEW DELHI (Kashmir English): Elon Musk’s SpaceX and Bharti Airtel on
Tuesday signed a deal for the launch of Starlink satellite internet in the world’s most populous country.
India’s Bharti Airtel has said it signed a deal with SpaceX for the launch of Starlink internet services in India.
Starlink has long wanted to make a debut launch in India and has in recent months in disagreement with Indian billionaire Mukesh Ambani’s company over how the world’s most populous nation should grant spectrum for the satellite services.
Indian government, however, sided with Elon Musk that spectrum should be assigned and not auctioned.
It is to mention here that Starlink’s licence application is still under review.
According to Airtel, the deal was subject to SpaceX receiving its own authorizations to sell Starlink in India.
Both the companies will collaborate to offer Starlink equipment and services to business customers, while also providing connections to health centers, schools, and remote areas, the Indian telecom firm said in a Tuesday statement.
SpaceX and Airtel will also explore ways for Starlink to help expand and enhance the Airtel network, the company said further, while SpaceX will likely utilize Airtel’s ground network infrastructure and other capabilities in the country.
The development comes weeks after Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi-Elon Musk meeting in Washington where both discussed issues including space, mobility, technology and innovation.
About Starlink
Starlink is a satellite internet constellation developed by Elon Musk’s SpaceX. The project aims to provide reliable, fast, and international internet connectivity through a network of thousands of small satellites in low Earth orbit (LEO).
This constellation is designed to bridge the digital divide by reaching underserved and remote communities worldwide.
Starlink internet uses a network of satellites orbiting the Earth at an altitude of approximately 550 kilometers.
These satellites communicate with user terminals, which are small antennas installed at businesses, institutions, or homes.
These small antennas sends and receives data to and from the nearest satellite, which then relays the data to a gateway connected to the global internet backbone. This architecture enables fast data transfer rates and low latency.
