Elon Musk's satellite internet service Starlink has been approved for only 20 lakh connections in India. The central government has clarified that this does not pose any major threat to BSNL or other telecom companies.
Elon Musk-led satellite communication company Starlink has been approved to provide only 20 lakh connections in India. Union Minister of State for Telecommunications Pemmasani Chandra Shekhar gave this information on Monday. He said that this limited capacity of Starlink is not a threat to BSNL or other telecom companies.The minister was speaking to the media after a review meeting of BSNL. He said, "Starlink will be able to provide speeds of up to 200 Mbps to only 20 lakh users. Its existing capacity sets its limit."
- Starlink's internet will be expensive
According to the minister, the initial cost of the satcom service will be quite high and the monthly expense can reach around Rs 3,000. These services will be mainly targeted at rural and remote areas, where BSNL currently has a strong presence.
- BSNL 4G rollout complete
The minister also informed that BSNL's 4G network rollout has been completed and there are no plans for any tariff hike as of now. BSNL's revenue has seen a growth of 20-30% in the first quarter, which is a result of the successful operation of 4G and resolution of technical issues. So far, 30,000 power stations have been replaced, on which ₹600-700 crore have been spent.
- Old technology will be phased out
The minister said that now indigenous technologies are being given priority in BSNL and 2G and 3G technologies will be gradually phased out. BSNL had earlier used equipment from Chinese companies like ZTE, but now their requirement is also being phased out.