Ex-Starlink India head now plans a white paper on broadband, poverty

Sanjay Bhargava on Wednesday revealed that he now plans to write a white paper on how to ensure countrywide broadband access by 2023 and end poverty by 2030.

Sanjay Bhargava, who has quit as India Director for Elon Musk-run satellite internet company Starlink, on Wednesday revealed that he now plans to write a white paper on how to ensure countrywide broadband access by 2023 and end poverty by 2030.

After announcing a dramatic exit as the India head of Starlink operations late on Tuesday, Bhargava posted on LinkedIn that he has always tried to give back to India by blaming no one and inspiring everyone over the last 17 years.

"As I retire, I am thinking of writing a short whitepaper on 'Good Broadband Pan India by Dec 2023 & Ending Poverty by 2030'. Is this possible?" he wrote.

"My concern is that even though my intentions are good my words will be twisted, and all kinds of motives will be ascribed even though my only motive is to provoke thinking to achieve the METRO's (Measurable Timebound Real Outcomes) outlined in the title," Bhargava added.

"My tentative deadline to publish (the white paper) is January 15, 2022," he said.

His resignation came after the Department of Telecommunications (DoT) under the Ministry of Communications in December warned Starlink to get necessary permission required to offer satellite-based Internet services in India.

Starlink shipped 100,000 terminals to customers recently. The project aims to provide global broadband connectivity via a constellation of satellites.

SpaceX began satellite launches in November 2019 and opened its $99 per month beta programme for select customers around a year later.

Earlier, Starlink had announced that it will focus on 10 rural Lok Sabha constituencies to provide the Internet services.

--IANS

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