Reliance Jio, under the leadership of Mukesh Ambani, is on the cusp of securing vital landing rights and market access authorisations from the Indian National Space Promotion and Authorisation Centre (IN-SPACe). These permissions are pivotal for the telecom giant to introduce its satellite-based gigabit fibre services across India, disclosed sources familiar with the developments.
People with knowledge of the matter revealed to ET that Jio has completed all requisite submissions to IN-SPACe, the governing body for the space industry, with the much-awaited authorizations anticipated imminently. These permissions are mandatory for the deployment of global satellite bandwidth capacity within India.
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Elaborating on the complexity of the IN-SPACe authorisation process, it involves approvals from multiple ministries alongside stringent security clearances.
The past year witnessed Jio Platforms collaborating with Luxembourg-based satellite communications player SES, forming a 51:49 joint venture geared towards delivering broadband connectivity through satellites. This move propelled Jio into a sphere already marked by the entries of Eutelsat OneWeb, Elon Musk’s Starlink, Amazon, and the Tatas.
While Jio’s satellite arm secured a GMPCS (global mobile personal communications by satellite services) license from the Department of Telecommunications (DoT), IN-SPACe authorisations remain pending.
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Presently, Bharti-backed Eutelsat OneWeb stands as the sole global satellite constellation operator to have received the essential approvals from IN-SPACe.
Both Eutelsat OneWeb and the Jio-SES alliance are racing for an early advantage in India’s burgeoning satcoms market, competing against formidable players like Starlink, Amazon, and the Tatas. Jio’s president, Mathew Oommen, recently highlighted the capability of Jio’s satellite services unit to launch JioSpaceFiber services within weeks of spectrum allocation.
With the enactment of the new Telecommunications Act of 2023 providing legislative support for the administrative allocation of satellite spectrum, sources familiar with the matter expect the process through DoT to expedite.
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IN-SPACe’s recent estimation projects India’s space economy to potentially reach $44 billion by 2033, marking a substantial increase from its current 2% global share to an anticipated 8%.
Satellite-based internet operates by using a constellation of small satellites orbiting the Earth to provide internet access. Here’s a breakdown of its key aspects:
1. Global Coverage: Satellite internet offers global coverage, reaching remote or underserved areas where traditional internet infrastructure is limited or unavailable.
2. Low Earth Orbit (LEO) Satellites: Starlink, for instance, uses LEO satellites placed closer to Earth than traditional satellites. This proximity reduces latency (time delay) in data transmission compared to geostationary satellites.
3. High-speed Internet: It promises high-speed internet comparable to or sometimes exceeding the performance of traditional wired connections, though actual speeds can vary based on factors like location and network congestion.
4. Ease of Installation: Users receive a small satellite dish and modem for installation. These devices connect to the satellite constellation, providing internet access without the need for extensive infrastructure.
5. Challenges: Satellite internet may face issues such as latency due to signal travel time to and from space, weather interference affecting signal strength, and potential service interruptions during satellite transitions.
