马斯克再批安巴尼阻挠竞争，Starlink 印度商用仍未获放行
Elon Musk intensifies attack on Ambani over Starlink India launch delay
Starlink 在印度筹备多年，去年已与信实 Jio 和 Bharti Airtel 签下分销协议，但至今仍未获新德里放行开展商用运营。马斯克本周五在 X 上再次指责安巴尼维护垄断、阻挠 Starlink 竞争；印度通信部回应称，包括 Starlink 在内的三家持牌卫星运营商都处在大体相同的安全评估阶段，否认其被单独针对。
印度是全球人口最多的市场，Starlink 能否进入直接关系星链的增长空间，马斯克与当地电信巨头的公开交锋是实质进展信号。
As SpaceX struggles to launch Starlink in India, Elon Musk has stepped up his attack on billionaire Mukesh Ambani, mockingly calling him the country’s “prime minister” to suggest he wields outsized control over its government and accusing him of blocking the satellite internet service from competing.
On Friday, Musk continued his criticism of the famed Reliance Industries’ chairperson in a post on X, arguing that Starlink could bring internet access to areas that remain unconnected, giving children more opportunities to learn, and helping small businesses reach customers worldwide.
“Naturally, you would prefer to maintain your monopolistic exploitation of the great people of India, but would you nonetheless consider allowing Starlink to compete?” Musk wrote.
Reliance Jio, Reliance Industries’ telecom arm, did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
Musk’s latest comments follow his accusations earlier this week that unnamed “oligarchs” were blocking Starlink’s launch in India to protect their business interests. India’s Ministry of Communications rejected the allegations, saying the country’s regulatory framework for satellite communications is “fair and non-discriminatory.” Musk then went further on Thursday, questioning Ambani’s influence in a separate post on X. “Is Ambani the real boss of India?” he asked.
SpaceX has spent years trying to launch Starlink in India. Last year, it even struck distribution agreements with Ambani’s Reliance Jio and Bharti Airtel, India’s second-largest telecom operator, to offer the service once it received the necessary approvals. However, Starlink has not yet received the go-ahead from New Delhi to begin commercial operations, despite securing key regulatory clearances.
In its Thursday statement, the Indian communication ministry said Starlink and two other licensed satellite operators are undergoing security assessments that must be completed before they can receive satellite spectrum. The ministry said all three are at “broadly the same regulatory stage,” rejecting Musk’s suggestion that Starlink was being singled out.
Jio and Airtel are also seeking to launch their satellite internet services in India. Jio has a joint venture with Luxembourg-based SES, while Airtel is a major shareholder in Eutelsat OneWeb, which is striving to offer satellite connectivity in the country.
India, the world’s most populous country with over a billion internet users, is a major market for Musk. But expanding there also means dealing with powerful business figures such as Ambani, whose Reliance conglomerate owns India’s largest telecom operator and works with Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s government on major projects.
Alongside Starlink’s delayed launch, Musk has also faced challenges expanding Tesla in India. The electric carmaker launched in the country last year after years of anticipation but registered just 699 vehicles in its first 12 months of deliveries, according to data cited by Electrek. Steep import duties pushed the Model Y’s launch price in India to nearly twice its U.S. price. Tesla lowered its prices earlier this year, but its cars remain considerably more expensive in India than in the U.S.
Before Musk’s latest attack, Starlink and Ambani’s Reliance Jio clashed over how to allocate satellite spectrum in India. Musk’s company wanted the spectrum to be assigned through an administrative process, while Jio pushed for an auction. Ultimately, New Delhi went ahead with Starlink and decided to allocate the spectrum administratively.
Starlink’s launch in India remains in limbo. India’s telecom minister Jyotiraditya Scindia on Friday pushed back against Musk’s allegations, saying the country “does not allow a monopoly in any sector.”
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Jagmeet covers startups, tech policy-related updates, and all other major tech-centric developments from India for TechCrunch. He previously worked as a principal correspondent at NDTV.
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来源：MyTesla 编辑台 · techcrunch.com