Jio Satellite Internet in India : All you need to know

Jio has tied up with Luxembourg-based SES for bringing in satellite internet in India via Jio Space Technology. SES is one of the world’s leading satellite owners and operators with 70+ satellites in geostationary orbit (GEO) and medium Earth orbit (MEO). The latest update is that Jio Satellite Internet will be Coming Soon as Jio-SES JV Orbit Connect gets IN-SPACe Authorisation to Enter Satcom Space.

Jio Space Technology will use SES-12 GEO and O3b-mPOWER MEO satellites to provide upto 100 Gbps speed. It has applied to the Department of Telecommunications for global mobile personal communication by satellite services (GMPCS) license behind Airtel.

Jio will also lease or resell some of its satellite bandwidth capacity for cellular backhaul connectivity services to other telecom providers. These providers can utilize it in rural or remote areas because the mobile broadband connectivity is very low here. This satellite internet will also reach enterprises, government firms, retail customers, mobile backhaul, and other consumers.

The multi-year deal between Jio and SES is priced at around ₹750 crores. Jio will have a 51% stake in the company while SES will have 49%.

Last year Elon Musk’s Starlink announced Satellite Internet in India. It also started pre-bookings, but due to failure to receive government approval, the program failed. Thus, the company had to refund the full amount to its pre-book customers.

Akash Ambani, Director, Reliance Jio, said “While we continue to expand our fiber-based connectivity and FTTH business and invest in 5G, this new joint venture with SES will further accelerate the growth of multigigabit broadband. With additional coverage and capacity offered by satellite communications services, Jio will be able to connect the remotest towns and villages, enterprises, government establishments, and consumers to the new Digital India. We are excited about this new journey combining our massive reach and customer base with SES’s innovative leadership and expertise in the satellite industry.”

• Jio & Luxembourg-based SES

• Airtel & UK-based OneWeb

• Tata’s Nelco & Canada’s Telesat

• Starlink by Elon Musk’s SpaceX

• Project Kuiper by Amazon’s Jeff Bezos

• Rural & Remote Area Coverage

• Ultra High Speed (upto 300 Gbps)

• Economical

• Multi-device accessibility

• Higher bandwidth ratio

• Fast Installation

• Zero Maintenance

These companies might launch Satellite Internet services by 2023 in India. What are your views on Satellite Internet? Do share them below.