Bharti Airtel, SpaceX partner to offer Starlink internet in India

Bharti Airtel, one of India’s leading telecom providers, has partnered with billionaire entrepreneur Elon Musk’s SpaceX to bring Starlink’s high-speed internet services to its customers in India.

The agreement is contingent on SpaceX obtaining the necessary approvals to sell Starlink, its satellite-based internet service, in the country.

This allows the duo to assess how Starlink can expand Airtel’s services and how Airtel’s local expertise can support SpaceX’s direct offerings to consumers and businesses in India, the companies said in a statement on Tuesday.

Gopal Vittal, Managing Director and Vice Chairman of Bharti Airtel Ltd, said the collaboration with SpaceX to offer Starlink to Airtel customers in India marks an important step in expanding satellite connectivity.

“This collaboration enhances our ability to bring world-class high-speed broadband to even the most remote parts of India, ensuring that every individual, business, and community has reliable internet,” Vittal noted, adding that Starlink will complement and enhance Airtel’s suite of products.

By incorporating Starlink alongside its existing partnership with Eutelsat OneWeb, Airtel seeks to expand nationwide coverage, particularly in underserved areas. The Starlink enterprise suite will enable Airtel to offer comprehensive connectivity solutions for businesses, enterprises, and communities.

The duo will explore offering Starlink equipment in Airtel’s retail stores and providing Starlink services to business customers. They will also evaluate ways to improve connectivity in remote areas, including schools and healthcare centres.

“We are excited to work with Airtel and unlock the transformative impact Starlink can bring to the people of India. We are constantly amazed by the incredible and inspiring things that people, businesses, and organisations do when they are connected via Starlink,” said Gwynne Shotwell, President and Chief Operating Officer of SpaceX.

SpaceX’s Starlink is designed to provide high-speed, low-latency internet access worldwide, especially in remote and underserved areas. It operates through a constellation of low Earth orbit (LEO) satellites at around 550 km altitude, significantly reducing latency compared to traditional geostationary satellites.

Starlink offers services to residential users, businesses, and government agencies, with a growing network of ground stations and phased-array user terminals.

OneWeb is a satellite communications company backed by Eutelsat that provides global broadband internet through its LEO satellite constellation. It focuses on enterprise, government, and telecom operators, partnering with providers like Airtel to enhance connectivity solutions. 

Unlike Starlink, which targets direct-to-consumer services, OneWeb mainly offers wholesale broadband to businesses and ISPs. OneWeb satellites operate at an altitude of 1,200 km, offering connectivity solutions for remote areas, maritime, aviation, and defence sectors.

Both Starlink and OneWeb are key players in the growing LEO satellite internet market, competing to improve global broadband access.