Reliance Jio's satellite internet project gets key approval
What's the story
Reliance Jio has received technical approval from India's space regulator, the Indian National Space Promotion and Authorisation Centre (IN-SPACe), for its ambitious plan to deploy a constellation of 1,600 low Earth orbit (LEO) satellites. The approval comes after an evaluation by IN-SPACe, in collaboration with the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) and the Department of Telecommunications's Wireless Planning and Coordination wing.
Competitive edge
Proposed satellite network on par with global systems
Jio's proposed satellite network is said to be technically sound and comparable with global systems such as Starlink.
The company has promised a throughput of 4.5-5 terabits per second over India, which is much higher than Starlink's approved capacity of 600 gigabits per second and Amazon Leo's planned 3 terabits per second (pending IN-SPACe approval).
Service expansion
Project to reduce India's dependence on foreign satellite companies
The proposed satellite constellation will significantly boost broadband and mobile services across India.
Jio plans to set up 20-22 ground stations as part of the project.
The move is expected to reduce India's dependence on foreign satellite companies while meeting strategic defense requirements.
Regulatory backing
Government can now extend regulatory support to Jio
With IN-SPACe's approval, the Indian government can now extend regulatory support to Jio at an international level for securing orbital slots.
The company had sought government assistance for International Telecommunications Union (ITU) filings and orbital rights through coordination with other companies.
This move is a major step toward India's first indigenous LEO constellation, which is crucial for national security and strategic defense needs.
Potential collaboration
Potential defense payload hosting in satellites
Apart from the technical evaluation, initial discussions have been held at the highest levels of government to explore if some of the LEO satellites could host defense payloads.
This potential collaboration further highlights how Jio's satellite constellation could play a major role in strengthening India's digital infrastructure and national security.