RailTel plans to partner with Elon Musk's Starlink. Why it may be great for both
RailTel Corp., a state-owned telecom infrastructure and connectivity provider, is in talks with Elon Musk’s Starlink to offer retail broadband services to its users in remote areas using satellite internet, according to two officials aware of the matter.“The discussions have picked up pace with Starlink, but commercials are yet to be finalized. Starlink team has also met RailTel’s officials in New Delhi,” the first of the two government officials said, requesting anonymity as talks are private.
The company will also explore similar arrangements with other satellite internet providers such as OneWeb, Jio Satellite, and Amazon Leo (formerly Project Kuiper), the official said.Among various models, RailTel is exploring the use of Starlink’s satellite internet services as backhaul to provide broadband access in remote areas through RailWire. Backhaul here refers to using a satellite to send internet or network data from a faraway location to the main network when fibre or other ground links are not available or not commercially viable.“It makes sense for RailTel to partner with Starlink as it will be able to tap non-technology feasible areas using satellite internet,” said Satya N.
Gupta, former principal advisor at the Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (Trai). “For Starlink, it will be a way to market their services as going directly to consumers would involve huge costs, especially in hiring the talent on the ground.”According to Gupta, the partnership offers Starlink a good potential to secure internet connectivity orders in non-technology feasible areas as well as for emergency communication.RailTel, a Navratna public sector undertaking, has an optical fibre cable network along 67,415 route km of railway tracks and a
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