Starlink’s reach capped at 20 lakh users in India
The comment comes amid growing interest in satellite communication (satcom) services, particularly for remote and rural areas — sectors where BSNL has traditionally had a strong foothold.
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Union Minister of State for Telecom, Pemmasani Chandra Sekhar, said on Monday that Starlink, the satellite internet venture led by billionaire Elon Musk, will be allowed to operate with a cap of 20 lakh customer connections in India — a move that downplays its potential threat to BSNL and other domestic telecom providers, reported PTI.
Speaking on the sidelines of a review meeting with Bharat Sanchar Nigam Ltd (BSNL), the minister said, “Starlink can have only 20 lakh customers in India and offer up to 200 Mbps speed. That won’t affect telecom services.”
The comment comes amid growing interest in satellite communication (satcom) services, particularly for remote and rural areas — sectors where BSNL has traditionally had a strong foothold.
The minister pointed out that satellite-based internet could remain a niche offering due to its high upfront costs and estimated monthly fees of around ₹3,000, making it a less viable option for the average Indian user.
In contrast, BSNL has been expanding its reach more affordably. The minister confirmed that the BSNL 4G rollout is complete, and emphasized that the public sector telecom giant has no plans to hike tariffs. “We want market first. There are no tariff hikes planned,” he said.
With this cap and cost dynamics, Starlink’s presence in India is likely to remain limited — supplementing rather than disrupting existing telecom infrastructure, especially in areas underserved by terrestrial networks.
