India's telecom regulator plans to recommend that satellite broadband spectrum be allotted for around five years to assess initial market adoption, defying Elon Musk's Starlink, which is seeking a 20-year permit,

Indian billionaires Mukesh Ambani and Sunil Mittal signed deals to bring Elon Musk’s Starlink internet services to India, promising to get remote areas of the world’s most populous country online.

Telco giant Airtel Tuesday announced a partnership with SpaceX to launch Starlink’s high-speed satellite internet services in India — years after Elon Musk’s company made its first moves to enter the country, the world’s second-largest internet market after China.

India's Bharti Airtel said on Tuesday it had signed a deal with Elon Musk's SpaceX for the highly anticipated launch of Starlink satellite internet in the world's most populous country. SpaceX's Starlink has long wanted to launch in India and has in recent months clashed with billionaire Mukesh Ambani's company over how the country should grant spectrum for satellite services.

By signing deals with India’s two biggest telecom players, the tech tycoon and Trump adviser has improved his odds of breaking into an enormous market.

The Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI) is likely to push for satellite internet services to be initially limited to mobile dark zones — regions lacking terrestrial network coverage. This move comes as Bharti Airtel and Reliance Jio establish partnerships with SpaceX’s Starlink,