In recent times, we are hearing a lot about Satellite Internet. Companies such as OneWeb and SpaceX' Starlink are planning to launch satellite internet services in India in the coming years. Satellite Internet helps the people who live in the rural parts of the country. SpaceX recently suggested to Trai that satellite internet can deliver internet to every corner of the country, irrespective of how remotely the users live. Starlink is already offering satellite internet to a limited section of people in the United States, and the speeds offered by the company are also decent. In the United States, a couple of satellite internet providers are also delivering speeds of up to 100 Mbps which is very good considering the technology is still in nascent stages. The big question now is: will satellite internet be the next big thing in India?
Satellite Internet in India: What You Need to Know
The biggest advantage with Satellite Internet is the availability. India has just over 20 million wired broadband connections, despite having the service for several years now. The wired broadband segment is riddled with issues like slow internet speeds, migration to fibre technology and a majority of the companies are still unable to provide services in remote parts of the country. While JioFiber is aiming to solve the three issues, we are not expecting the ISP to offer services in remote areas right away, and it will take another 3-4 years for the brand to build infrastructure.
The Indian government is aiming at a Public Wi-Fi model to offer high-speed internet, but that again will take at least a couple of years to become a reality.
Here's when the satellite internet comes into the picture. Companies like OneWeb and Starlink by SpaceX are aiming at launching their internet services in the next couple of years. The internet speeds factor is still under the radar, and we don't know what the companies are planning to offer in the country. While availability becomes the biggest advantage for satellite internet, the pricier and slow data speeds are the major disadvantages.
In the US, a satellite internet service provider is charging $125 (approx. Rs 9,200) per month for 30 Mbps of speeds with 120GB FUP limit. That's a lot of money. The data plans by telcos in India are the cheapest and if the satellite internet companies opt for a pricier business model, users may not show interest in the service.
What are your thoughts on Satellite Internet service in India? Will it be affordable? Let us know by commenting below.
