Satellite broadband is going to be the next generation of internet connectivity. Yes, it will be comparatively costlier than fiber broadband, but it will have use cases that are much evolved and will help enterprises a lot. A Few of the companies that plan to bring satellite broadband connectivity in India is Starlink and OneWeb. Starlink is backed by Elon Musk’s SpaceX, while OneWeb is backed by the Bharti group. Thus, both the companies are quite popular and have the kind of resources that will set them up on the path of success wherever they plan to provide services. I genuinely believe that Starlink and OneWeb will change the way Indians consume the internet. Here’s why.
Starlink, OneWeb to Bridge Connectivity Gap
The telecom growth in India has largely been due to the urban areas. While rural areas of the country are well equipped with network services, there are still blank spots and remote regions where people have to travel miles before they can get hold of a network signal.
While telecom operators can invest in these regions, it would be a loss-making venture for them since there won’t be as many users, and most importantly, there won’t be many high paying customers in the region to really make profits. So the telcos knowingly ignore particular areas of the country because it just doesn’t make sense for them to invest money there.
However, Starlink and OneWeb won’t be limited by this. Their satellite signals will be able to reach every nook and corner of the country without any additional investment required. Both the satellite broadband service providers will be able to offer internet services in the rural and remoter regions of the country where the mobile networks of telecom service providers (TSPs) are not present.
This will be a game-changing step towards making India truly digital. With the help of satellite internet, everyone in rural and remote India will be able to access internet connectivity and leverage the tools online to be successful and communicate the way everyone else does.
However, the satellite broadband services won’t be as cheap as mobile plans or fiber broadband plans offered to customers around the country. Regardless, with time as the technology gets globalised and there are more competitors, the price of satellite broadband services will also fall. How fast it will happen, there’s no saying. But there’s one thing; with the help of satellite broadband, every Indian will have a chance to get on the internet and leverage the medium to do whatever he/she wants.
