Jio Gets DoT Nod To Launch Satellite-Based Broadband Services: Report

A unit of telecom operator Reliance Jio Infocomm has reportedly received approval from the Department of Telecommunications (DoT) to offer global mobile personal communication by satellite (GMPCS) services in India.

Jio Satellite Communications Ltd (JSCL), the satellite unit of Reliance Jio Infocomm, has received ‘letter of intent’ (LoI) from the telecom department stating that the company can begin offering satellite communication services, news agency PTI reported on Tuesday.

Inc42 reached out to Reliance Jio Infocomm for a confirmation, but the company refused to comment on the issue. 

Jio can now provide GMPCS services, including voice and data services, through satellite in the permitted service areas. 

GMPCS networks can operate with three types of satellites – low-earth orbit (LEO), medium-earth orbit (MEO) and geosynchronous (GEO). The GMPCS licence is granted for a period of 20 years. 

In February this year, Reliance Industries Ltd (RIL) set up a joint venture (JV) with Luxembourg’s satellite-based content connectivity solution provider SES to offer satellite-based broadband services in India 

On launching its satellite services, Jio will join the likes of Elon Musk’s SpaceX and Bharti Enterprises’ OneWeb which already provide satellite-based broadband services across the globe.

Satellites orbiting around the earth can provide high-speed internet at even the remotest locations without any need for fibre-optic infrastructure. While announcing the JV with SES, Reliance said that satellite broadband would allow it to provide internet services to the remotest towns and cities of the country.

The development comes at a time when telecom companies are gearing up to launch 5G services in India. During RIL’s AGM, its chairman Mukesh Ambani said that Jio will roll out 5G services in key cities, including metros, by Diwali. 

Meanwhile, Bharti Airtel is also likely to launch its 5G services in the country next month.

The global satellite internet market was pegged at $2.93 Bn in 2020 and is expected to rise to $18.59 Bn by 2030, growing at a CAGR of 20.4% during 2021-2030 period, according to a report.

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