Starlink denies pricing reveal, accepting orders in India
What's the story
Starlink, the satellite internet company owned by Elon Musk's SpaceX, has denied revealing any pricing or accepting orders for its services in India. The clarification came after a temporary glitch on its website led to speculation about potential subscription plans. The error displayed a residential plan at ₹8,600 per month with an additional one-time hardware cost of ₹34,000.
Clarification
What did Starlink's VP say?
Starlink's Vice President, Lauren Dreyer, clarified that the information displayed on the website was not actual pricing. "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," she said on X. Dreyer explained that a configuration glitch had briefly made internal test figures visible but these numbers do not represent what the cost of Starlink service will be in India.
Launch preparations
Focus on regulatory approvals for India launch
Starlink is currently waiting for regulatory approvals before launching its services in India. Dreyer said all efforts are focused on getting the final government approvals to activate service and the website. "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," she added.
Rural focus
Commitment to rural connectivity in India
Starlink has been gearing up for its commercial launch after regulatory delays. The company's India market access director, Parnil Urdhwareshe, had said that a "very large percentage" of Starlink's global user base comes from rural residential customers. Maharashtra became the first state in India to partner with Starlink for satellite internet services in government departments and rural areas.