Reliance Jio enters satcom battleground with sovereign LEO constellation

Reliance Jio announced plans to develop sovereign Low Earth Orbit satellite constellation for India during its annual general meeting.

Stating that Jio has connected India on the ground, Akash Ambani, Chairman of Reliance Jio Infocomm (Jio) stated that the company is developing its own satellite constellations while simultaneously leasing satellite capacity to global satcom providers.

“Jio is evaluating the development of a sovereign Low Earth Orbit satellite constellation for India. We are also partnering with the leading global constellation providers by leasing satellite capacity, so that we can accelerate service availability while building our own long-term sovereign capability,” said Ambani, adding that the dual approach will enable Jio to meet India’s connectivity needs faster, while laying the foundation for the Indian satellite broadband platform of global scale.

To this end, Jio is also building its own ground station infrastructure in India that will support its own future satellites as well as partner constellations, “creating an end-to-end satellite broadband ecosystem from space to ground.

“With this initiative, Jio is strengthening India’s atma nirbharta in space, placing India firmly on the global satellite broadband services map,” said Ambani.

Satellite communication has been an anticipated technology with its primary customer centered in the hinterlands of the country, navy, and other segments where fibre cannot ensure effective connectivity.

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