• Source:JND

SpaceX’s Starlink network has broken the 9 million user mark, reaching 1 million users within the first seven weeks. Starlink has started providing services to consumers across 155 countries and territories, as shared in an X (formerly Twitter) post. This has been absorbing more than 20,000 customers per day, or one every four seconds. This beats the adoption rates for satellite internet services.

 

Reaching Places Traditional Networks Can’t

The usefulness of Starlink pertains to its ability to provide high-speed connections to areas that are out of range of traditional broadband connections. This goes to rural Himalayan villages, ships in the middle of the ocean, aeroplanes, and research stations in the Antarctic. The main reason they go for Starlink connections lies in its constellation of more than 9,000 low Earth orbit satellites.

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India Launch — What We Know So Far

Starlink launched its first bid to enter the Indian market in 2021, though it received some regulatory opposition, as it began taking pre-orders without the requisite licence. However, ever since, SpaceX has been holding talks with the Indian Department of Telecommunications to clear necessary approvals. In fact, recently, it seemed that an imminent launch in India is not very far, as SpaceX head Elon Musk tweeted to India’s Union Minister Jyotiraditya Scindia, “Looking forward to serving India with @Starlink.”

Competition and Market Potential

Starlink will face competition from satellite internet services like OneWeb, which is backed by Bharti Group, as well as Amazon's Project Kuiper, should it enter the Indian market. Starlink has been widely accepted across the world, indicating an enormous need for good high-speed connectivity in the unconnected regions across the world. SpaceX also intends to take Starlink public in the next year with an estimated value of $1.5 trillion.

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Significance of Starlink for India

The broadband disparities in India, especially in rural areas, still exist. Starlink’s arrival may change all that, especially when it comes to online learning, telecommuting, telemedicine, and home businesses. Rural schools, research teams, or even disaster relief departments might all be able to take advantage of what Starlink offers.


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