New Delhi: Satellite-based internet service Starlink is preparing to launch in India by early 2026, with a new generation of satellites expected to significantly enhance speed and capacity. SpaceX’s satellite broadband unit Starlink is likely to begin operations in India by late 2025 or early 2026, following recent regulatory clearances. The development comes as the company prepares to roll out a new generation of satellites from 2026 that are expected to deliver internet speeds up to 10 times faster than its current service.
Starlink has received approval from India’s space regulator IN-SPACe to operate its first-generation (Gen1) satellite network in the country until 2030. The service will use Ka and Ku band frequencies to offer satellite-based broadband to remote and underserved regions. While spectrum allocation is still being finalised, Starlink has been authorised to use its satellite signals for both ground stations and user terminals across India.
At launch, Starlink is expected to offer internet speeds ranging from 25 Mbps to 220 Mbps with an estimated network capacity of 600–700 Gbps in the first phase. While this is lower than typical fibre speeds, the offering targets areas with little to no digital infrastructure, where fixed-line broadband remains unavailable or unreliable.
The upcoming generation of Starlink satellites, tentatively referred to as a major performance upgrade (though not officially named “Starlink 3.0”), will significantly increase capacity. Each satellite is expected to support over 1 Tbps of downlink capacity and over 200 Gbps of uplink, a marked jump from current figures.
With the ability to add up to 60 Tbps of network capacity per launch, the new system will operate at lower altitudes to help reduce latency and improve signal stability. Improvements in beamforming and onboard processing are also expected to support better throughput and wider coverage.
