NEW DELHI: Elon Musk-led satellite communication services provider Starlink will not pose any significant threat to state-run BSNL or other telecom operators, as it can serve only up to 20 lakh connections in India, Minister of State for Communications Pemmasani Chandra Sekhar said.
The minister explained that even if demand exceeds 20 lakh users, Starlink’s supply will remain limited. With Starlink entering India, there were concerns among telecom operators about losing customers.
"Starlink can have only 20 lakh customers in India and offer up to 200 Mbps speed. That won't affect telecom services.. upfront cost for satcom services will be too high, and the monthly cost may be around ₹3,000. So Starlink can’t service everyone,” said the minister.
Earlier today, the Ministry of Communications held a high-level review meeting chaired by Communications Minister Jyotiraditya M. Scindia in New Delhi. BSNL’s Chief General Managers (CGMs) from across the country attended the meeting to assess operational progress, discuss regional challenges, and plan future strategies.
The minister also stated that BSNL has no immediate plans to raise tariffs and is instead focusing on expanding its 4G user base across India. He further highlighted plans to replace aging Chinese equipment powering BSNL’s legacy 2G and 3G networks with indigenous 4G infrastructure.
The government aims to achieve 20–30% annual revenue growth for BSNL by improving network uptime, reducing fiber cuts, and implementing a circle-wise strategy to increase average revenue per user (ARPU).
Starlink recently received final regulatory clearance to begin commercial satellite broadband operations in India. On July 7, the Indian National Space Promotion and Authorisation Centre (IN-SPACe), the country’s space regulator, granted the company approval to operate, removing the last major hurdle before its launch. However, the Department of Telecommunications (DoT) is yet to issue trial spectrum for Starlink’s security demonstrations, a mandatory step before commercial rollout.