Elon Musk’s Starlink coming to India soon but the prices will blow your mind! Why Mukesh Ambani’s Jio, Airtel will remain top providers

At this point its safe to say that Mukesh Ambani-led Jio and other providers like Airtel, Vi, and BSNL will remain the preferred choice for the majority of Indian consumers as Elon Musk-led Starlink will likely be much more expensive.

Elon Musk’s much-hyped Starlink project will likely be available in India soon , but those who are eagerly awaiting for the service to be launched in the country would be shocked to find out it will be significantly more expensive that other internet service providers such as Mukesh Ambani-led Reliance Jio and Sunil Mittal’s Bharti Airtel.

Though Starlink has not announced any tariff plans in India, but judging by its prices in other countries, a rough estimate can be made about how much Elon Musk’s satellite-based broadband service would cost the Indian consumers.

Starlink prices in India?

While the prices of Starlink service has not been officially announced in India, but the company’s former chief provides some insights into how much it would cost. According to the former Starlink head, the service could cost around Rs 1,58,000 for the first year, while the cost will be reduced to Rs 1,15,000 in the second year, which includes 30 percent tax.

The difference in the prices between the first and second year is due to the fact that the consumer needs to make a one-time purchase of the device needed to use the Starlink service, the first time around, The device costs Rs 37,400, according to reports. Additionally, users must pay an extra Rs 7,425 per month as service fee.

Its clear that Starlink will be a much more expensive service than those provided by Mukesh Ambani’s Jio or Airtel, but experts believe that in a price-conscious country like India, Musk’s company will try to keep the prices as low as possible, but exactly how low will be a key factor whether the service is rapidly adopted by India’s middle class which forms the backbone of the country’s consumer market.

According to several media reports, the cheapest Starlink tariff plan could be priced at around Rs 7400 per month, which if true would mean that most users who are paying about 1/10th of the amount for broadband internet by other players, Jio, Airtel, Vi and BSNL, would not opt for Musk’s satellite-based service.

Starlink coming to India

Union Minister Jyotiraditya Scindia recently announced that India is ready to provide license to Tesla CEO Elon Musk to establish satellite-based Starlink internet service in the country. As per reports, Starlink has agreed to follow the rules laid down the Indian Government regarding data storage and security, following which the government has agreed to provide it the required license.

However, Starlink may face another issue while deciding its pricing in India as the Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI) has yet finalize the recommendations on the prices of spectrum allocation, which are expected by December 15.

At this point its safe to say that Mukesh Ambani-led Jio and other providers like Airtel, Vi, and BSNL will remain the preferred choice for the majority of Indian consumers as Starlink will likely be much more expensive.