First it was Mukesh Ambani. Now India’s other telecom billionaire, Sunil Mittal, has a condition for Elon Musk: Starlink can come, but the power to switch it off stays in India.
Last month, Musk mocked Ambani as India’s “real boss” for keeping out Starlink, SpaceX’s satellite internet service.
What Did Airtel’s Chairman Say About Starlink?
Sunil Bharti Mittal, chairman of India’s No. 2 carrier Bharti Airtel, told NDTV on November 13 that Musk seems impatient and frustrated. His group backs OneWeb, a Starlink rival also still waiting for approval.
Mittal said Starlink selling in India is “all right.” But control must stay local.
“The kill switch has to be in India. The control has to be in India,” he said.
A kill switch is the power to slow or shut a network down.
Why Does Ukraine Matter Here?
In Ukraine, Starshield, SpaceX’s military version of Starlink, was slowed from Oct. 14 to 24, United24 reported.
Musk said it was decided by the US President, Donald Trump.
Why is Starlink’s Design a Problem for India?
Starlink satellites pass data to each other by laser, so traffic can skip Indian ground stations. OneWeb has no such links, Mittal said. According to Tech Insider, India’s security rules clash with that laser design.
Mukesh Ambani’s Jio Platforms listed Oct. 28 at ₹1,119 ($11.68) a share in India’s largest IPO. It traded near ₹1,400 on Nov. 13.
Starlink’s main overlap with Jio is home broadband, where Jio holds 42.6% of fixed lines. Jio also holds 77.5% of 5G home wireless. Until Starlink is cleared, it cannot sell a single dish against either.
Musk accused Ambani of blocking him, BeInCrypto reported. India denies bias and says Starlink filed security papers last.
What’s in it for Airtel?
In October, Mittal said he would be happy to win approval a few days before Musk. He also doubts demand. Indians get 5G almost anywhere for about $3 a month, he said, so why pay ten times more for satellite?
India’s Cabinet must still set the spectrum fee. The Home Ministry must clear each operator. Until then, nobody sells.
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