Musk's SpaceX agrees Starlink cooperation with Airtel in India

NEW DELHI: Tech billionaire Elon Musk plans to enter the Indian internet market with his Starlink satellite system, reported German news agency dpa.

The Indian telecommunications company Bharti Airtel has signed an agreement with Musk's company SpaceX to bring Starlink's satellite internet services to customers in the world's most populous country.

The aim is to jointly explore "how Starlink can complement and expand Airtel's offerings," an Airtel statement said on Tuesday.

SpaceX still requires authorisation from the authorities to use Starlink in India.

According to the announcement, Airtel could even sell Starlink equipment in its retail outlets and offer the US company's services to its business customers.

Airtel vice chairman Gopal Vittal said he hopes the cooperation can bring fast broadband connections to even the most remote parts of India.

According to the European Space Agency (ESA), there are around 13,230 satellites in orbit, of which more than 7,000 are part of the Starlink network.

--BERNAMA-dpa