Starlink, one of the largest satellite communications (satcom) services providers globally, now has its presence in more than 1000 aircraft. For the unaware, Starlink has both B2C and B2B products and applications. Partnering with the airlines, Starlink is equipping aircraft with its equipment to offer a seamless internet experience to customers in the skies.
Taking to the social media platform X, Elon Musk announced that Starlink is now operational in more than 1000 aircraft. "Using Starlink on a plane feels like you're on a high-speed ground fibre connection," said Musk. This is yet another major milestone for Starlink. The company recently became operational in its 100th nation - Sierra Leone in Africa. This also became the 10th nation in Africa for Starlink.
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It is also worth noting that Starlink has received preliminary approval for starting services in Sri Lanka. However, the company's struggle to get a license in India is still ongoing. Reportedly, Starlink is not complying with all the Indian government requests. Since it is a matter of national security, the government will not give a license and necessary approvals to Starlink until the company decides to comply with the requirements.
Elon Musk once said that offering and expanding to several nations is challenging because different countries have different policies. Thus, complying with all of the countries' policies takes time and involves huge costs.
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Starlink has been eyeing a satcom license in India for several years now. The company was earlier selling pre-bookings for connections in India, however, the government ordered the body to refund the customers as it didn't have the approval to offer services. There is no official communication from the government or Starlink about the developments in the process of acquiring a license in India.