The Meghalaya government has signed an agreement with Starlink India to improve connectivity in remote and inaccessible areas in the state. The agreement suggests that Starlink services could arrive soon in the country as the company has already received the necessary approvals from the government.
The agreement between the Government of Meghalaya and Starlink India seeks to provide high-speed internet connectivity through satellite-based technology offered by Starlink. The Elon Musk-owned company aims to enhance digital connectivity in the region and support sectors such as education, healthcare, security and disaster management. Meghalaya has faced unreliable internet connectivity due to its unique topography.
Through this collaboration, the government will pilot Starlink satellite-based high-speed internet connectivity in the state. In the past, other state governments and agencies, including the Maharashtra government and Aadhaar’s UIDAI, have also partnered with Starlink to bolster their digital initiatives.
Starlink receives licence to operate in India
Meanwhile, the Indian National Space Authorisation and Promotion Centre (IN-SPACe) has officially granted a licence to Starlink. This authorisation allows Starlink Satellite Communications to utilise the capacity of its Starlink Gen1 constellation over Indian territory, and the licence is valid for a period of five years.
The satellite internet company also conducted demo runs in Mumbai on October 30 and 31 last year to demonstrate compliance with the security and technical conditions required for satellite broadband services in India.
In addition, the company has also hired employees for its India headquarters in Bengaluru.
However, the rollout of satellite internet services is still pending as the telecom regulator, the Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI), is yet to finalise the spectrum pricing for satellite internet and the spectrum allocation by the Department of Telecommunications (DoT).
Starlink pricing page appeared briefly last year
In December last year, Starlink India pricing briefly appeared on the company’s India website. The page claimed that Starlink’s monthly internet plan would cost Rs 8,600 per month, along with a one-time hardware cost of Rs 34,000.
However, Starlink clarified that these prices were dummy test data that became visible due to a technical glitch and do not represent the actual plan costs. The company said it will reveal the final plans only after receiving final government approval.
