Elon Musk’s Starlink will bring satellite-powered internet to India. [Photo Source: Reuters]
Elon Musk's satellite internet project, Starlink, is preparing to launch in India. The aim is to provide fast internet to towns and remote areas where cable networks are weak or missing. In India, Starlink is expected to give speeds between 25 Mbps and 220 Mbps. The setup kit may cost around ₹30,000–₹35,000, while monthly plans could be between ₹3,000 and ₹4,200.
Starlink has already shown strong results on airplanes, with speeds above 100 Mbps during flights. With government approvals in place, the service could start in India by late 2025 or early 2026.
While 25 Mbps to 220 Mbps internet speeds may not be as fast as fibre in large cities, Starlink is anticipated to significantly improve rural towns and villages throughout India. The primary goal is to provide fast and dependable internet to customers in areas where traditional networks are unreliable.
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The Starlink kit comes with a dish and a Wi-Fi router. The one-time cost may be between ₹30,000 and ₹35,000. On top of that, users will need to pay a monthly fee of around ₹3,000 to ₹4,200.
Reports also say there could be a cheaper plan for about ₹850 per month (≈$10). This low-cost option may help Starlink reach more people and make the service affordable for middle-class families.
Starlink has a premium plan in other countries that offers speeds of up to 250 Mbps. India could also get these faster plans once the service becomes stable. These premium packages will cost more and are mainly meant for businesses, offices, and people who use a lot of data every day.
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Right now, Starlink is not yet active in India, but it has already received approvals from the Department of Telecommunications and IN-SPACe. The company is preparing for launch, which may happen by the end of 2025 or the beginning of 2026.
To make sure the system does not get overloaded, the government may limit the number of users to around two million in the first phase. This step will allow the network to grow slowly and remain stable.
Starlink is not a 5G network. It uses satellites flying in low orbit around the Earth. Even so, Starlink speeds of 100–220 Mbps are similar to or even faster than many 5G networks in India.
This is especially true in rural areas where 5G signals are weak. That is why Starlink can be a good option for people who do not get strong mobile data.
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Starlink is already giving Wi-Fi service on flights for airlines such as Hawaiian Airlines and Qatar Airways. Tests show it can give download speeds of around 152 Mbps, upload speeds of 24 Mbps, and a delay (latency) of about 44 ms.
Travellers have said they can make FaceTime calls and attend video meetings without any problems while flying. This makes Starlink one of the fastest and most reliable internet services in the sky.
