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

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

“Jio has connected India by land. Now we have to connect India from the skies,” said Akash Ambani, managing director of Jio Platforms and chairman of Reliance Jio Infocomm.

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

Ambani said the company is partnering with leading global “constellation providers” to lease satellite capacity as it seeks rapid rollout of satellite connectivity. He added that Jio was building its own “long-term dominance capability”.

Jio will also build its own “ground station infrastructure” in India that will support partner constellations as well as its own future satellites, the chief executive said.

The news came as Jio Platforms We submitted draft documents on Friday for an initial public offering.

Last year, SpaceX Announced agreements with Jio and India’s second largest telecom service provider, Bharti AirtelTo expand Starlink internet services across India. However, progress has been slow since then and Starlink is yet to launch service in the country.

Just like Jio, SpaceX’s Starlink also wants to provide satellite connectivity to remote and underserved areas of India.

India had effectively frozen approvals Musk’s space-based internet service Starlink has been allowed to begin commercial operations due to security concerns, Bloomberg reported last week. But Lauren Dreyer, SpaceX’s vice president of Starlink business operations, said: the story was misleading In a post on X.

“Starlink continues to engage in active and productive discussions with the Government of India,” Dreyer said in his post.