Elon Musk-owned Starlink has said it is ready to connect India with high-speed internet, responding to Reliance Industries Ltd (RIL) amid a growing debate over satellite communications competition.
The company said it had worked closely with Indian regulators, industry stakeholders and operators for more than five years.
Starlink added that it had established dedicated systems, gateways and other infrastructure within India to serve domestic internet traffic securely, with the required government approvals.
‘Starlink is ready to connect India with high-speed internet,’ the company said. Musk responded to Reliance’s remarks on X with the message, ‘Much appreciated’.
In a statement on Friday, Reliance welcomed competition in satellite communications, including Starlink, while stressing that all companies must follow Indian laws and policies.
“Every player, Jio included, must serve the people of India and abide by the laws and policies of the land,” the company said.
Reliance added that the government applies the same process to domestic and foreign applicants. It noted that Jio’s satellite services were still awaiting clearances.
The company said it had never feared competition, describing it as the strongest test of customer service.
Reliance highlighted Jio’s entry into the telecom market in 2016 and said the operator had gained more than 530 million customers in a decade, offering affordable data and digital infrastructure.
Starlink has secured a licence to provide satellite communication services in India but still needs security clearances and other approvals before launching commercially.
Last week, Musk accused Reliance chairman Mukesh Ambani of seeking to protect a monopoly. Addressing him sarcastically as ‘Prime Minister Ambani’, Musk questioned whether Starlink would be allowed to compete in India.
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