With Bharti Airtel and Reliance Jio forming strategic partnerships with Starlink, the Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (Trai) is now expected to expedite its recommendations on satellite spectrum pricing. Sources said that the regulator will likely recommend that satellite companies initially focus on providing services in mobile dark areas — regions where terrestrial networks are unavailable.
This move could alleviate concerns earlier expressed by Jio and Airtel, among other telecom operators, that global satcom players such as Starlink and Amazon Kuiper might capture urban market share without participating in spectrum auctions.
Sources said that Trai’s cautious approach is driven by the evolving nature of satcom technology. Currently, satellite signals cannot be received directly on standard mobile devices, and satcom services are significantly more expensive than conventional mobile plans. However, technological advancements could change this, therefore Trai wants to retain the discretion to make amends in a changed scenario.
By restricting satellite services to areas lacking mobile coverage, Trai would be able to evaluate market dynamics and the role of satcom operators in bridging the digital divide. Given that satellite broadband is primarily intended to reach remote locations where fibre or wireless connectivity is unviable, this phased approach would enable it to test and monitor the effectiveness of satellite networks.
Currently, four companies are vying to provide satellite Internet services: Eutelsat OneWeb, Jio-SES, Starlink and Amazon Kuiper. Bharti Enterprises-backed OneWeb and Jio-SES have already received regulatory clearances, whereas Starlink and Kuiper are still awaiting approvals.
Since satellite broadband services would be priced at a premium compared to fibre-based broadband, government subsidies might be required to make them affordable for the masses in rural and remote areas. A potential funding mechanism could be the Digital Bharat Nidhi initiative, which supports rural connectivity projects.
According to estimates by Bernstein, Starlink’s pricing is substantially higher —10 to 14 times — than the country’s leading broadband providers. Based on current rates, a 50-200 Mbps Starlink connection would require an upfront payment of Rs 52,242, followed by a monthly charge of Rs 10,469. Including taxes and levies, the annual cost would amount to Rs 215,600. In contrast, fibre broadband plans from Airtel and Jio offering similar speeds cost between Rs 11,000 and Rs 15,000 annually.
According to analysts, Starlink’s direct-to-cell technology, which utilises specially designed satellites to function as space-based cell towers,
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