Reliance Industries’ Jio Platforms, which operates in various sectors from telecommunications to petroleum, is gearing up to launch satellite internet services in India. To achieve this, Jio Platforms has formed a joint venture called Orbit Connect with Luxembourg-based SES.
Competition in Satellite Internet Service
Billionaire Elon Musk’s Starlink and a unit of e-commerce and technology giant Amazon have also sought approval to launch satellite internet services in India. Orbit Connect has received approval from the Indian National Space Promotion and Authorization Center (IN-SPACe) to operate satellites in the Indian sky. However, the company will need to secure further approval from the Department of Telecommunications to officially start this service. IN-SPACe Chairman Pawan Goenka informed Reuters that another company, Inmarsat, has also received approval for high-speed satellite-based internet services.
Emerging Market and Investments
Starlink and Amazon’s Kuiper have applied for similar approvals. Last year, Bharti Enterprises-affiliated Eutelsat received approval for this service. The Indian satellite broadband service market is projected to grow at an annual rate of 36% over the next five years, reaching approximately $1.9 billion. Amazon plans to invest around $10 billion in its Kuiper project.
Regulatory Hurdles and Approval Processes
To launch satellite internet services, telecom companies must obtain security clearances and approvals from various ministries. During the India Mobile Congress last year, Reliance Jio announced that it had connected four remote regions through its JioSpaceFiber service: Gir in Gujarat, Korba in Chhattisgarh, Nabarangpur in Odisha, and Jorhat in Assam, alongside ONGC locations. The licensing process for spectrum allocation for satellite internet services may not require companies to bid for spectrum, which could benefit Starlink. Foreign internet service companies have demanded spectrum licenses, arguing that if auctions are held in India, other countries might adopt similar processes, potentially increasing their costs.
Bhupendra Singh Chundawat is a seasoned technology journalist with over 22 years of experience in the media industry. He specializes in covering the global technology landscape, with a deep focus on manufacturing trends and the geopolitical impact on tech companies. Currently serving as the Editor at Udaipur Kiran, his insights are shaped by decades of hands-on reporting and editorial leadership in the fast-evolving world of technology.
