Airtel, Jio sign deal with Elon Musk’s SpaceX to bring Starlink to India

Following Airtel’s announcement on Tuesday about its partnership with Elon Musk’s SpaceX to introduce Starlink in India, Jio echoed a similar statement early Wednesday morning. Airtel and Jio are collaborating with SpaceX to introduce Starlink’s satellite internet in India, enabling them to offer their services in the nation’s most isolated regions. Significantly, the agreement for both Airtel and Jio relies on SpaceX obtaining the necessary approvals to offer Starlink in India. In that case, Jio and Airtel will provide Starlink services and devices via their retail outlets and online channels.

Airtel and Jio have made deals with SpaceX to introduce Starlink satellite internet services in India. Both agreements depend on SpaceX obtaining the required regulatory approvals from the Indian government to run Starlink commercially. The agreement with the two leading network providers in India signifies an important advancement in broadening high-speed internet access across the nation, especially in remote and underprivileged regions.

Airtel has revealed plans to investigate potential collaboration with SpaceX, possibly retailing Starlink equipment in its outlets and providing services to enterprises. Airtel intends to utilize Starlink’s abilities to link rural educational institutions, healthcare facilities, and distant areas with limited traditional internet infrastructure. Airtel plans to incorporate Starlink into its current network and examine how SpaceX can utilize Airtel’s telecommunications infrastructure in India.

Jio has teamed up with SpaceX to provide Starlink services via its retail outlets and online channels as soon as regulatory approvals are obtained. Jio seeks to incorporate Starlink into its broadband offerings, which presently consist of JioFiber and JioAirFiber. The collaboration will aid Jio in enhancing its internet services, especially in regions where conventional broadband is difficult to implement. Moreover, Jio will handle the setup, activation, and customer assistance for users in India.

The collaborations with Airtel and Jio indicate increasing rivalry in India’s satellite broadband industry. Both businesses seek to extend high-speed internet availability to areas that were previously inaccessible. Airtel currently partners with Eutelsat OneWeb for satellite internet services, and incorporating Starlink into its offerings will enhance its internet coverage even more. Jio, responsible for the largest mobile data traffic in India, will leverage the Starlink agreement to enhance the reliability and accessibility of broadband services.