Starlink has a stir for India, unlimited data plans can start at £ 850: Report | Mint

Elon Musk’s satellite internet initiative, Starlink, is allegedly close to the start of operations in India, after clearing the majority of regulatory requirements. Media reports indicate that the company can introduce plans that start up to $ 10 or about £ 850 a month, making it one of the most affordable satellite broadband offers worldwide. According to a report by The Economic Times, Starlink recently secured an intention (LOI) of the Telecommunications Department (DOT), which gave the preliminary lead to start with the country. This move is an important step forward for the SpaceX business, which faced delays earlier due to regulatory and licensing challenges. You may be interested in the low-cost plans, which are expected to include unlimited data as part of introductory offers, to help Starlink build a significant user base in India quickly-which is reportedly targeting 10 million subscribers. Reportedly, the aggressive pricing strategy is seen as a way to recover the high pre -investment and spectrum -related costs. However, India’s telecommunications regulator, the Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (Trai), has presumably recommended additional charges for urban users. It is alleged that a monthly surcharge of £ 500 per urban customer has been proposed, which could possibly increase the total cost of satellite broadband compared to traditional wired and wireless internet services. In addition to this proposed urban fee, Starlink and other satellite communications providers may be subject to a four percent payment of their adjusted gross income (AGR), a minimum annual spectrum levy of £ 3.500 per block and an eight percent license fee to offer commercial services. However, these recommendations are still awaiting the final approval of the relevant authorities. Despite the potentially high operating costs, Starlink is reportedly determined to keep the initial consumer price low. The goal is to take advantage of India’s great market potential, especially in rural and underserved areas, where access to reliable internet remains a challenge. Worldwide, Starlink’s services are significantly more expensive. In the United States, the residential lite plan costs about $ 80 (£ 6,800) per month and contains unlimited, although deprioritized. Clients are also expected to buy a Starlink standard set at a one-time $ 349 (£ 29,700) fee. The company also offers ROAM plans for users who travel regularly, from $ 50 (£ 4.200) for 50 GB of data, with an extra cost of $ 299 (£ 25,400) for the Starlink Mini set.