The Meghalaya state government has entered into a partnership with Starlink India to enhance connectivity in remote and hard-to-reach regions within the state. This collaboration indicates that Starlink services may soon be accessible in the country following the company’s receipt of necessary approvals from official authorities.
The agreement between the Meghalaya government and Starlink India aims to deliver fast internet connectivity using satellite technology provided by Starlink. Owned by Elon Musk, the company’s objective is to improve digital access in the area, supporting critical sectors such as education, healthcare, security, and disaster management. Meghalaya has grappled with unreliable internet connections due to its distinct terrain.
As part of this initiative, the government will conduct a trial of Starlink’s satellite-based high-speed internet service in the state. Previously, other state governments and organizations, including the Maharashtra government and Aadhaar’s UIDAI, have collaborated with Starlink to strengthen their digital ventures.
In related news, the Indian National Space Authorisation and Promotion Centre (IN-SPACe) has officially granted a license to Starlink, permitting the company to utilize its Starlink Gen1 constellation capacity over Indian territory for a duration of five years. Starlink also performed demonstration runs in Mumbai on October 30 and 31 last year to showcase compliance with the required security and technical standards for satellite broadband services in India. Additionally, the company has recruited staff for its Indian headquarters in Bengaluru.
Despite these advancements, the rollout of satellite internet services is pending as the Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI) is yet to finalize spectrum pricing for satellite internet and spectrum allocation by the Department of Telecommunications (DoT).
Regarding pricing, a glimpse of Starlink India’s pricing briefly appeared on the company’s Indian website in December last year. The page indicated a monthly internet plan cost of Rs 8,600, along with a one-time hardware fee of Rs 34,000. However, Starlink clarified that these figures were test data mistakenly made visible due to a technical error and do not reflect the actual plan costs. The company states that final pricing details will be disclosed post the receipt of government approval.