Elon Musk's satellite communications company, Starlink, caused a stir yesterday in India with the sudden appearance of significant pricing details on its website. The page claimed that Starlink's monthly internet plan would cost Rs 8,600 per month, along with a one-time hardware cost of Rs 34,000.
However, Starlink has since clarified that these prices were merely dummy test data made visible due to a technical glitch, and they do not represent the actual plan costs. Starlink stated that it will only reveal the final plans after receiving final government approval.
Starlink explains the situation
Lauren Dreyer, VP of Starlink Business Operations, addressed the issue in a post on X, confirming that the prices were nothing more than placeholders that went live due to a configuration error.
She clarified: "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. 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. 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”.
Anticipation for Starlink services remains high
Now that Starlink's official response has been received, the pricing news that surfaced yesterday should be dismissed. The satellite internet service provider aims to offer its services in remote areas of the country, and by dismissing all details regarding its monthly plans and hardware costs as fake, the company has again fueled the debate about when people in India will finally be able to access Starlink's services.
Regulatory approval is still pending
As is known, the company has been preparing for months, but the rollout remains stuck in the final regulatory stages. Starlink's availability in India is currently listed under the "pending regulatory approval" category. Adding to the wait, The Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI) stood firm on Monday regarding its original recommendations concerning satellite communications (satcom) spectrum fees, rejecting proposed changes from the Department of Telecommunications (DoT).
