India’s Jio and Airtel partners with SpaceX for Starlink satellite internet

India’s top two Telecom operators – Jio and Airtel has announced partnership with SpaceX to offer Starlink terminals and mobile services to expand connectivity in various part of the country.

Starlink provides high-speed, low-latency Internet to users with its thousands of satellites orbiting around the Earth. Customers can use Starlink from anywhere around the globe within a minute of setup.

Both Jio and Airtel has signed partnership to sell Starlink terminal in India through their retail stores. One of these will also establish mechanism to support customer service installation and activation.

Airtel says, it will provide services to business customers, schools, health center and other key sectors where connectivity is key.

SpaceX Starlink (Credit – SpaceX)

“Starlink will complement and enhance Airtel’s suite of products to ensure reliable and affordable broadband for our Indian customers.” said Gopal Vittal, Managing Director and vice Chairman, Bharti Airtel Ltd.

On the other hand, Jio will offer Starlink beside its Fiber products in remote location. Both of these companies are also exploring more areas of cooperation to improve collaboration.

“By integrating Starlink into Jio’s broadband ecosystem, we are expanding our reach and enhancing the reliability and accessibility of high-speed broadband in this AI-driven era, empowering communities and businesses across the country” said Mathew Oommen, Group CEO, Reliance Jio.

For now, Jio and Airtel has not announced a date for this satellite internet terminal availability since a regulatory license for Starlink in India is pending.