Elon Musk’s Starlink Ties Up with UIDAI to Enable Aadhaar-Based Customer Verification in India

According to an official announcement cited by news agency PTI, billionaire Elon Musk’s satellite internet service business Starlink would use Aadhaar authentication to validate Indian consumers before onboarding them. Starlink has been given permission by the government to start providing satellite-based broadband services domestically.

As per the release, Starlink Satellite Communication Pvt Ltd, a satellite-based internet provider, has been onboarded by the Unique Identification Authority of India (UIDAI). For customer verification, Starlink will adopt Aadhaar Authentication, which will streamline, secure, and simplify the procedure.

Why Starlink-Aadhaar Collaboration Matters?

In India, Starlink can currently enrol about 20 lakh consumers, according to an official estimate. The onboarding of Starlink with Aadhaar identification, according to the statement, represents a potent synergy: India’s reliable digital identity collaborating with international satellite technology.

In addition to providing high-speed internet to homes, businesses, and institutions, Aadhaar e-KYC will make user onboarding easier and guarantee regulatory compliance.

In front of UIDAI CEO Bhuvnesh Kumar, UIDAI Deputy Director General Manish Bhardwaj, and Starlink India Director Parnil Urdhwareshe, Starlink Satellite Communication was designated as a sub-authentication and sub-eKYC user agency. To provide its services within the nation, Starlink has partnered with Reliance Jio and Bharti Airtel.

Starlink India Internet Speed and User Limitations

The Elon Musk-led satellite internet company can offer speeds of up to 200 Mbps, according to Chandra Sekhar Pemmasani, the Minister of State for Rural Development and Telecommunications.

Impact on Telecom Players Jio, Airtel, and BSNL

According to PTI, the government doesn’t think this will affect other telecom providers. “Starlink can only serve 20 lakh customers in India while providing speeds of up to 200 Mbps. “Telecom services won’t be impacted by it,” Minister Pemmasani told the news agency during a BSNL review meeting.

Customers in rural and distant areas of India, a sizable market for the state-owned telecom carrier BSNL, are the target market for the company’s satellite internet services.

Starlink’s Role in Rural Connectivity in India

According to earlier reports from a number of media outlets, Starlink intends to use its satellite technology to expand the local telecom industry and address connection issues in rural and isolated parts of India.