Bharti Airtel Ltd, one of the biggest telecom companies in India has signed a deal with Elon Musk’s SpaceX to offer Starlink’s satellite high-speed internet services in India. This partnership is expected to improve the digital divide in the country, particularly in the remote areas.
Purpose of the Partnership:
Retail Integration: Airtel is planning to sell Starlink equipment from its numerous point of sale outlets across the country hence making satellite internet hardware easily available to the public.
Enterprise Solutions: The partnership is to enable business customers to access Starlink’s high-speed satellite internet services and find different ways through which they can use the connection for their business.
Community Connectivity: Both the companies have mentioned that they will be working towards the goal of providing internet connectivity to schools, healthcare centres, and other community facilities in rural and remote areas. This will help in extending the digital divide and promoting socio-economic development.
Network Enhancement: The cooperation will examine how Starlink’s satellite technology can enhance and extend Airtel’s current network infrastructure and perhaps improve signal quality.
What Needs to Be Done?
This partnership cannot be implemented because SpaceX has not yet applied for the required approvals to offer Starlink services in India. The Indian government has been considering spectrum allocation for satellite communications, with discussions involving satellite companies from abroad and Indian telecom service providers. These deliberations are significant as they will influence the time and extent of Starlink’s availability in the country.
This is a significant partnership that is likely to change the face of telecommunications in India:
Improved Connectivity: Satellites are used to achieve near universal access to high-speed broadband internet in unserved and hard-to-reach areas, thus increasing the reach of digital infrastructure.
Market Expansion: This agreement is a major step for SpaceX to expand its business to one of the biggest and fastest growing internet market in the world, as it seeks to achieve its goal of providing satellite internet service to the entire globe.
Competitive Dynamics: The availability of Starlink in the Indian market through Airtel may increase competition in the internet service provider market which may in turn benefit consumers in terms of service and price.
