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Remote areas in India need satellite internet, Scindia says
Scindia also noted that satellite internet would complement, rather than compete with, existing fiber and mobile networks
Satellite internet will boost India’s growing telecom infrastructure, particularly in rural and remote parts of the country, communications minister Jyotiraditya Scindia said in an interview with Bloomberg on Tuesday.
Scindia’s comments come after telecom firms Bharti Airtel and Reliance Jio Infocomm last week separately announced tie-ups with Elon Musk’s Starlink to bring satellite internet to the Indian market.
On Wednesday, Vodafone Idea said it is in exploratory talks with various satellite communication providers, including Starlink.
In the interview, Scindia talked about the importance of satellite connectivity to get full network coverage across the country.
“There are many remote corners of the country where you cannot take fiber or mobile connectivity. How do you do 100% saturation if you don’t have satellite internet?” he told Bloomberg.
He also pointed out that satellite networks could play an important role in restoring communication services when natural disasters disrupt terrestrial infrastructure.
Scindia noted that satellite internet would complement, rather than compete with, existing fiber and mobile networks.
“India’s market is open for anyone and everyone who wants to come and participate in this large market and provide a service,” Scindia said, adding, “Ultimately, it’s the consumer that has to decide who they will go with.”
The minister, however, did not comment on when Starlink might receive its license or how much satellite internet providers will be required to pay for spectrum access.
Scindia’s remarks are in line with the government’s push for satellite internet services, which has drawn interest from firms such as Starlink, Amazon’s Project Kuiper, and OneWeb.
While Starlink has yet to secure a regulatory license, its partnerships with Bharti Airtel and Reliance Jio hint at a more favorable environment for its entry.
Both the Indian telecom majors had previously had opposed Starlink’s access to affordable spectrum.
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