Satellite internet set to revolutionise India's connectivity: Survey

A whopping 91% of surveyed individuals believe that satellite internet service will be a game-changer for India as it will be available in areas where internet services are barely working, according to a survey conducted by LocalCircles.

The survey further pointed out that nine out of 10 respondents believe rolling out satellite internet should be a top priority for India to expand connectivity and bridge the digital divide.

Half of respondents believe private internet providers should step up, offering satellite services directly to individuals. Meanwhile, 39% think the government should take the reins, securing the service and making it available to all. “The finding indicates that a sizable number of people, i.e. 4 in 10 believe that internet or wifi through satellite internet service should be made available to all at no or nominal charges by the Government.”

Recently, both Bharti Airtel and Jio have announced a partnership with Elon Musk’s SpaceX to introduce Starlink’s satellite-powered broadband internet services to its customers in India. “The partnerships of the two big Indian giants, subject to SpaceX obtaining the licences to operate in the country, promise faster digital connectivity expansion in India with the high-speed, low-latency internet becoming available even in remote areas.”

A Deloitte India report says India’s share in the global satellite internet market size, which stood at $3 billion in 2022, was merely 3%. But by 2030, India’s satellite broadband service market is expected to reach $1.9 billion by value, growing at a compound rate of 36%.

Satellite communication in India is currently a B2B market, catering primarily to rural connectivity, disaster response and enterprise-level machine-to-machine (M2M) connectivity, as stated by a report.

India’s footprint in the global satellite internet market was a mere 3% of the $3 billion industry in 2022, as stated by the Deloitte India report. “But by 2030, India’s satellite broadband service market is expected to reach $1.9 billion by value, growing at a compound rate of 36%.”

The LocalCircles survey covered over 22,000 citizens across 323 districts of India. Of these, 66% of respondents were men while 34% of respondents were women. Respondents from Tier 1 cities accounted for 42%, followed by 30% from Tier 2 and 28% from Tier 3, Tier 4 and rural districts.

The study noted that if recognised as essential infrastructure and managed effectively, such a service could ignite innovation and fuel Digital India. “Such a service if classified as infrastructure, with effective controls, can spur innovation and Digital India as millions of users who currently worry about recharging their data plans will get uninterrupted zero or low-cost access to the internet.”