Amazon satellite internet Launching in India ? Another Starlink ?

In the near future, Amazon is likely to take steps to offer fast satellite internet to India. According to ET, Jeff Bezos would contact the government to discuss legality.

Amazon is spending more than $10 billion on Project Kuiper, its global space internet initiative. Furthermore, the primary purpose of this project is to build a constellation of 3,236 low-Earth orbits (LEO) satellites.

Industry sources say India is a vital developing satellite internet market that Amazon can’t afford to ignore.

Significance of satellite internet in remote places

• Bringing satellite-based, fast internet to millions of Indians in rural areas might bring in $500 million in the near future.
• These services currently cost between $15 and $20 per GB in the country. Most importantly, This is around 22 to 30 times higher than mobile data because it costs $0.68 per GB.

• Due to the absence of cellular or fibre connections in many rural areas. Almost 75% of the rural population does not have broadband access. Therefore making satellite internet a potential alternative.

The Department of Space grants landing rights for communications from foreign satellites into the nation.

The move is sure to spark off the competition between Bharti-Airtel backed OneWeb and Elon Musk’s SpaceX.

According to SIA-India, A spokesperson for Amazon declined to comment. Amazon, SpaceX, and OneWeb have all planned to enter the Indian market, with Amazon taking the lead.

Jio and Amazon are at odds

It’s unclear whether Amazon will work with a local telecom carrier or not. With OneWeb, the only remaining options are Reliance Jio and Vodafone Idea. Amazon is however currently in a legal fight with Reliance Industries. Each one aims for the control of retail holdings of the Future Group.

For a $99 refundable deposit, SpaceX is now taking pre-orders for a beta version of its satellite internet in India.
We have also written on whether you should invest $99 in Starlink In India As Of Now ?
The use of satellite resources can increase rural mobile broadband coverage. There aren’t enough mobile towers or internet connections via fibre networks.

In addition, satellite systems are suitable for smart farming applications as well. Tracking soil conditions for important inputs like water, fertilisers, and pesticides, as well as harvest predictions, are examples of these.

What To Expect From Amazon ?

To sum up, India is indeed an emerging satellite internet market that Amazon cannot ignore. A $500 million revenue opportunity from providing satellite fast internet services to millions of Indians in rural and remote areas is at stake. The move is sure to spark competition with Bharti’s OneWeb and Elon Musk’s SpaceX.

Also, what are your thoughts on Amazon’s satellite-based Internet? Comment down below. Stay Safe, Stay Sarcastic!