Starlink Executive Clarifies Subscription Pricing in India Following Configuration Error

Starlink Clarifies: No Service Launch in India Yet, Pricing Leak Was “Configuration Glitch”

SpaceX’s satellite internet venture Starlink has issued an official statement refuting reports that its services are available for Indian customers, calling recent pricing information that appeared online a temporary technical error.

Lauren Dreyer, Vice President of Starlink Business Operations, took to social media platform X to address the confusion, stating unequivocally that “The Starlink India website is not live, service pricing for customers in India has not yet been announced, and we are not taking orders from customers in India.”

The clarification comes after numerous media outlets reported that Starlink had revealed its pricing structure for the Indian market. These reports claimed the company would charge approximately Rs 8,600 monthly for residential service, with an additional one-time hardware cost of Rs 34,000 for the satellite dish and equipment.

Dreyer explained the source of the confusion: “There was a config glitch that briefly made dummy test data visible, but those numbers do not reflect what the cost of Starlink service will be in India. The glitch was quickly fixed.”

Starlink’s high-speed satellite internet service has generated significant interest in India, where millions of citizens in rural and remote areas still lack reliable broadband connectivity. The company’s low Earth orbit satellite constellation promises to deliver high-speed internet to areas where traditional infrastructure is limited or non-existent.

Despite the excitement surrounding the potential launch, Starlink remains in the regulatory approval process with Indian authorities. “We’re eager to connect the people of India with Starlink’s high-speed internet, and our teams are focused on obtaining final government approvals to turn service (and the website) on,” Dreyer added in her statement.

This isn’t the first time Starlink has faced regulatory challenges in India. In November 2021, the Indian government had asked the company to stop taking pre-orders until it obtained necessary licenses to operate in the country. The Department of Telecommunications had instructed Starlink to comply with the regulatory framework for offering satellite-based communication services.

Industry analysts note that India represents a massive potential market for satellite internet providers. With a population of over 1.4 billion and large swaths of rural territories, the country faces significant challenges in providing widespread broadband access through traditional means. Satellite technology offers a potential solution to bridge this digital divide.

Starlink faces competition from other satellite internet providers eyeing the Indian market, including Bharti Group-backed OneWeb and Amazon’s Project Kuiper. Additionally, the Indian government’s own satellite communications policy and initiatives like BharatNet aim to increase connectivity across the country.

For Indian consumers, particularly those in underserved areas, the eventual arrival of Starlink could represent a significant upgrade in connectivity options. However, pricing will be a crucial factor in determining adoption rates in a price-sensitive market like India.

As Starlink continues to work through the regulatory process, the company has not provided a timeline for when it expects to receive final approval or begin operations in India. Interested customers will need to wait for official announcements regarding service availability and actual pricing.

The incident highlights the global attention Elon Musk’s ventures continue to attract, with even technical glitches generating significant media coverage and public interest.