Elon Musk spoke about competitive pressure against Starlink!
In a post on X, Musk said that some of Starlink’s rivals were obstructing its operations in India in order to “maintain their monopoly position,” without naming them.
Elon Musk has claimed that the launch of SpaceX’s Starlink satellite internet service in India is being obstructed by certain “oligarchs.” In a post on X, Musk said without naming them that some of Starlink’s rivals were blocking its operations in India in order to “maintain their monopoly position.”
SpaceX is currently awaiting final approval from the Indian government to launch Starlink’s commercial services. Although the company has obtained a satellite communications license, approvals related to security clearances and spectrum allocation have not yet been completed.
Musk’s remarks are believed to be directed at companies owned by leading Indian billionaires Mukesh Ambani and Sunil Bharti Mittal. Mukesh Ambani’s Reliance Jio and Sunil Bharti Mittal’s Bharti Airtel control more than 80% of broadband subscribers in the country.
Loren Dreyer, vice president of Starlink’s India operations, said the company has been working with regulators for five years and has built a network that meets India’s security requirements.
Last year, SpaceX signed agreements with Bharti Airtel and Reliance’s Jio Platforms to launch Starlink services in India. Despite this, Starlink, Jio and Eutelsat’s OneWeb service have not yet fully launched commercial operations in the country.