The Indian government has issued a Letter of Intent (LoI) to Starlink for providing satellite communication services in the country, according to sources. The Department of Telecom (DoT) granted the LoI, following similar permissions given to Eutelsat OneWeb and Jio Satellite Communications. While an LoI isn’t legally binding, it signals a strong intent to finalize a formal agreement and may include enforceable clauses such as confidentiality and exclusivity.
Starlink, owned by SpaceX, plans to deliver high-speed, low-latency internet using a constellation of low-earth orbit (LEO) satellites, currently numbering around 7,000, with ambitions to expand to 40,000. This satellite network operates at about 550 km above the Earth, enabling performance suitable for video streaming, online gaming, and video conferencing.
To accelerate its India rollout, Starlink is partnering with Jio and Airtel. Airtel intends to sell Starlink devices at its retail outlets and extend the service to rural schools, healthcare centers, and enterprises. Meanwhile, Jio will assist customers with equipment installation and explore deeper collaboration with SpaceX to boost India’s internet infrastructure.
Starlink offers internet speeds between 50–250 Mbps for regular users and up to 500 Mbps for premium customers, with upload speeds up to 40 Mbps, aiming to transform digital connectivity, especially in remote and underserved regions.
