Elon Musk’s Starlink has been making waves across the globe, and now, as of September 2025, the satellite internet giant is setting its sights on India’s vast and largely untapped market. The company has already begun laying the groundwork for terrestrial infrastructure in the country, signaling a determined push to bring satellite broadband to millions of potential users, especially in regions where traditional internet service providers have struggled to reach.
According to reporting from The Economic Times, Starlink is currently in advanced negotiations with a host of Indian data center operators, including Sify Technologies, STT, Equinix, and CtrlS Datacenters. The company is also talking with internet exchange providers like DE-CIX and Extreme, fiber infrastructure firms such as Microscan, and telecom heavyweights Bharti Airtel, Reliance Jio, and Tata Communications. These partnerships are critical for building the terrestrial ecosystem needed to anchor Starlink’s satellite connectivity at scale. Analysts estimate that the initial capital expenditure for this rollout could be around Rs 500 crore—a significant investment by any measure.
Letters of intent are expected to be sent out this month, marking a concrete step forward in Starlink’s ambitious plans. The company has already secured the necessary regulatory clearances from Indian authorities and has been allotted trial bandwidth, a crucial milestone for any foreign tech player hoping to operate in the country’s tightly regulated telecommunications sector. Starlink has also finalized 17 locations for ground stations across India, which will serve as vital links between its low-earth orbit satellites and terrestrial fiber and data networks.
But Starlink isn’t entering the Indian market alone. The company will face stiff competition from Bharti-backed Eutelsat OneWeb and Reliance Jio-SES JV, both of which are already active in India’s burgeoning satellite communications sector. Meanwhile, Jeff Bezos-led Amazon Kuiper and Apple’s partner Globalstar have also thrown their hats into the ring, applying for permits to operate in this potentially lucrative market. The Indian space economy itself is projected to soar to $44 billion by 2033, according to IN-SPACe, underscoring the high stakes and immense potential at play.
Starlink’s integration efforts are already bearing fruit. DE-CIX India, which handles an impressive 11 Tbps throughput across 36 points of presence in five cities, recently confirmed a partnership with the company. Sudhir Kunder, chief business officer at DE-CIX India, emphasized the importance of this collaboration, stating, “The integration will be crucial for maintaining high-speed throughputs especially for latency-sensitive applications like streaming, video conferencing, and online gaming.” Extreme IXP has also confirmed that Starlink is now connected to its Mumbai port, further expanding the company’s terrestrial footprint.
Indian regulations require that all downlink traffic be stored and routed locally—a rule designed to safeguard domestic data and national security. As a result, Starlink’s early tie-ups with fiber networks and data centers are not just strategic, but essential for compliance. The government recently granted Starlink a unified license after the company agreed to a suite of domestic security rules, including mandatory local routing of traffic, a ban on copying or decrypting Indian data overseas, and the establishment of earth station gateways within the country.
Minister of State for Communications Pemmasani Chandra Sekhar highlighted another potential benefit of Starlink’s entry, noting that such services are expected to generate employment through the installation and maintenance of networks and user terminals. Starlink will also use Aadhaar authentication for subscriber verification in India and currently has the capacity to onboard about 2 million customers—a figure that could grow rapidly given the country’s population and demand for reliable internet access.
While Starlink’s expansion in India garners attention, the company is also making headlines elsewhere. In the United States, Starlink has rolled out a significant price cut for new customers, slashing the cost of its standard kit to $175—a 50% reduction from the usual $349 price tag. This nationwide discount, reported by CNET, is one of the most affordable offers Starlink has ever made, and it’s available to anyone interested, without geographic limitations. However, the company has not disclosed how long the deal will last, and previous promotions have sometimes ended abruptly.
For many households in rural or underserved areas, Starlink has become a lifeline, offering fast and reliable internet where traditional ISPs still fall short. According to a recent report from Ookla, Starlink users in the US enjoy median speeds of 105 Mbps download and 15 Mbps upload—figures that have nearly doubled since 2022. Still, Starlink’s standard monthly service rate of $120 remains significantly higher than the US average of $78 per month. And while these speeds are sufficient for most households, they still fall short of what the Federal Communications Commission defines as broadband.
A study from Penn State University found that Starlink satellites can support about 6.66 households per square mile before speeds dip below FCC standards, highlighting the impact of network congestion on performance. As such, experts generally recommend Starlink for rural or underserved areas where cable or fiber connections aren’t available, as those traditional options tend to be faster and more affordable.
Meanwhile, not all recent changes from Starlink have been met with enthusiasm. As reported by PCMag, SpaceX is ending the free pause feature for Starlink Roam and Priority subscribers, replacing it with a $5-per-month “standby mode.” This new policy, set to take effect 30 days after its early September announcement, means subscribers who previously paused their service at no cost will now have to pay to keep their dish connected, albeit at a capped speed of 500 kbps. The move has sparked frustration among seasonal users—such as those who use Starlink while camping or traveling in RVs—who now face extra charges even when their equipment is not in active use.
Some customers who purchased the $499 Starlink Mini dish, available only in the US with a Roam plan, feel particularly aggrieved. One user vented on Reddit, “Many people bought the Mini on the premise that the pause feature effectively makes it pay as you go. Now we have to pay a minimum of $60 a year just to own something we might not use??? How is this legal?” Others, however, see the new standby mode as a reasonable compromise, with one Reddit user noting, “This new $5 plan is actually pretty good. Totally unlimited anywhere anytime at 2g speeds. I can text, run my navigation equipment, webcams and even browse the internet all fine.”
Starlink has clarified that if standby mode does not meet a customer’s needs, they can cancel at no cost and restart service later—without reactivation fees. However, the company warns that resuming service on the Residential plan is not guaranteed if the area is at capacity. The free pause mode remains available in select regions, including parts of Europe, Africa, and the Middle East, but not in the US.
Starlink’s global expansion, pricing strategies, and policy shifts reflect the challenges and opportunities in bringing satellite internet to the world’s underserved and remote populations. As the company forges ahead in India and adapts to changing customer needs elsewhere, its next moves are sure to be closely watched by competitors, regulators, and millions of potential users alike.
