Jio Platforms eyes low-orbit satellite rollout as Starlink awaits India launch

Key Points

• Jio Platforms, India's largest telecom operator and digital services company, is evaluating rolling out low-orbit satellite communications in India.
• Elon Musk's Starlink is also looking to roll out low-orbit satellite communication services in India.
• Jio is also partnering with "leading global" companies to lease capacity.

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Follow your favorite stocksCREATE FREE ACCOUNTA man talks on his phone walks past a Jio store in Mumbai, India, 22 March, 2023. Reliance Jio rolls Out 5G Services in 41 More Cities, Network Now Live in 406 Cities in India according to an Indian media report. Nurphoto | Nurphoto | Getty Images

India's largest telecom operator and digital services company, Jio Platforms, said Friday it is evaluating the rollout of low-orbit satellite communications in the country, an area that has drawn interest from leading global companies, such as Elon Musk's Starlink.

"Jio connected India on the ground. Now we must connect India from the skies," said Akash Ambani, the managing director of Jio Platforms and chairman of Reliance Jio Infocomm.

Jio Platforms owns a 100% stake in India's largest telecom operator, Reliance Jio Infocom.

Ambani said the company is partnering with leading global "constellation providers" to lease satellite capacity as it looks for a quick roll-out of satellite connectivity. Jio is building its own "long-term sovereign capability," he added.

Jio will also build its own "ground station infrastructure" in India, which will support its partner constellations, as well as its own future satellites, the managing director said.

The news came as Jio Platforms filed draft papers for an initial public offering on Friday.

India's largest telecom and digital service Jio Platforms files for IPO

Last year, SpaceX announced deals with Jio and India's second-largest telecom service provider, Bharti Airtel, to roll out Starlink internet services across India. However, the progress has been slow since then, and Starlink has not yet launched service in the country.

Much like Jio, SpaceX's Starlink also wants to provide satellite connectivity to remote and underserved areas in India.

India had effectively frozen approvals for Musk's space-based internet service Starlink to begin commercial operations, Bloomberg reported last week, citing security concerns. However, Lauren Dreyer, vice president of Starlink business operations at SpaceX, said the story was misleading in a post on X.

"Starlink remains in active and productive discussions with the Government of India," Dreyer said in her post.

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