Space-X CEO Elon Musk has hinted that the company’s satellite broadband service could soon come to India. A Twitter user Tryonset asked Musk when Starlink service would be launching in India to which Musk replied saying that he was waiting for the regulatory approval.
“Dear Elon you when are launching Starlink services in India ..? We and our existing Customers waiting for wireless internet services,” The Twitter user with username Tryonset asked. Musk replied saying, “Just figuring out the regulatory approval process.”
Starlink will allow users access to the Internet via the constellation of SpaceX’s mini-satellites. As of now, the company has not confirmed the exact timeline on when we can expect the service to be launched in India, so we will have to wait a while longer to know more.
What is Starlink?
Starlink aims to bring high-speed internet to regions where connectivity has typically been a challenge.
Unbounded by traditional ground infrastructure, Starlink can deliver high-speed broadband internet to locations where access has been unreliable or completely unavailable.
The price for the internet service is an upfront cost of $499 (Rs 37,000 approx) for hardware and a monthly cost of $99 (Rs 7000 approx) for internet service.
How does it Work?
Starlink uses a network of low orbital satellites which were put in space by a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket.
With lower satellites, the latency is reduced, which helps improve online buffering, gaming and video calling quality.
Interestingly, the working of Starlink is quite similar to TV cable services. To install Starlink, a dish has to be mounted by the user which receives signals from what is called a mini satellite.
As of June 2021, there are over 1,500 Starlink active satellites, making Starlink the largest satellite constellation around Earth.
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How is Starlink Different from Traditional Internet?
What sets Starlink apart from traditional internet services we have in our households is that it is a satellite-based internet service.
What this means is that Starlink requires an unobstructed view of the sky in order to function.
Most of the internet users in India rely on fibre-based technology, which gives higher speed as compared to satellite internet.
However, what gives Starlink's internet services an edge is that it does not need any wired connections, and can be easily accessed from anywhere around the globe.