Mukesh Ambani’s Reliance Jio has urged India’s telecom regulator to scrutinize the potential market impact of Elon Musk’s Starlink and Amazon’s Kuiper before allocating satellite spectrum, Reuters news report said.
In a letter dated November 15, Reliance expressed concerns that local players could face significant disadvantages if spectrum is allocated administratively, as advocated by Elon Musk and supported by the Indian government.
The debate centers on whether satellite spectrum should be auctioned — a position championed by Reliance — or administratively allocated, a model aligned with global trends and favored by Elon Musk. Reliance argued that Starlink and Kuiper could leverage vast satellite capacities to compete with its telecom services at a lower investment, potentially undercutting Reliance’s $23 billion outlay on spectrum auctions over the years.
“The authority should critically examine the capacities created by these mega constellations such as Starlink and Kuiper,” the letter stated, urging a review of their potential reach and market impact.
India’s telecom regulator is reviewing stakeholder feedback and plans to release its recommendations by year-end.
Starlink, a SpaceX subsidiary, has already applied for security clearance to obtain a license for satellite broadband services in India. The telecom minister recently confirmed that Starlink’s application would proceed if all conditions are met.
Reliance, which leads the Indian telecom market with 479 million users, has previously disrupted the sector with aggressive pricing, offering free data during its Jio launch. Similarly, Elon Musk has employed competitive pricing tactics, as seen in Kenya, where Starlink is priced at $10 per month — far below the $120 monthly cost in the U.S. — creating challenges for local telecom providers.
Starlink currently operates 6,400 active satellites serving 4 million global customers, while Amazon’s Kuiper plans to deploy its satellite network in the coming years.
