Vodafone Idea confirmed that she is in exploratory discussions with multiple satellite communications providers, including Starlink from Elon Musk, as part of its strategy to expand communication in the disadvantaged areas.
This announcement follows a report issued by the Moneycontrol website for the financial news site and comes after the stock exchanges sought to clarify the company’s shares. Vodafone Idea shares rose about 5 % on Wednesday.
Jagbir Singh, chief technology employee, stated that satellite services can help the company to expand fixed networks and mobile phones to areas where the traditional infrastructure is not viable. He also highlighted plans to provide fixed wireless broadcasts in rural areas and smaller towns, where traditional network mode is expensive.
The move comes a week after Starlink signed agreements with Vodafone Idea, Bharti Aartel and Reliace Jio, to distribute satellite internet services in India. The deals allow the communications operators to store Starlink equipment in retail stores, providing a sales channel directly across thousands of sites. However, Starlink still requires organizational approval before launching operations in the country.
