Reliance Jio Launches India’s First Satellite-Based Internet Service to Connect Remote Areas
New Delhi, October 27: In a groundbreaking development, Reliance Jio has successfully unveiled India’s inaugural satellite-based giga-fibre service, designed to provide high-speed and affordable Internet access to previously inaccessible regions across the nation. Dubbed “JioSpaceFiber,” this innovative technology was showcased on the opening day of the ‘India Mobile Congress 2023’ and was inaugurated by Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
Reliance Jio has partnered with Luxembourg-based satellite telecommunications network provider SES to harness the cutting-edge capabilities of medium earth orbit (MEO) satellite technology. This partnership leverages the unique MEO constellation, the only one capable of delivering gigabit-speed, fiber-like services from space.
Akash Ambani, Chairman of Reliance Jio Infocomm Ltd, expressed his excitement, stating, “With JioSpaceFiber, we are expanding our reach to cover the millions who have yet to experience the benefits of connectivity. JioSpaceFiber will provide everyone, regardless of their location, with gigabit-level access to crucial online services such as government, education, health, and entertainment.”
Reliance Jio currently serves more than 450 million consumers with high-speed broadband fixed-line and wireless services. The introduction of JioSpaceFiber is expected to further enhance the availability and scale of Jio True5G, particularly in the most remote areas of the country.
Already, JioSpaceFiber has connected four of the most isolated locations in India: Gir, Gujarat; Korba, Chhattisgarh; Nabarangpur, Odisha; and ONGC-Jorhat, Assam.
John-Paul Hemingway, Chief Strategy Officer at SES, remarked, “In collaboration with Jio, we are honored to support the government’s ‘Digital India’ initiative with this unique solution, delivering multiple gigabits per second of throughput to any location in India. Our first fiber-like services from space are already operational in parts of India, and we eagerly anticipate the digital transformation this will bring, even in the most rural corners of the country.”
This initiative by Reliance Jio marks a significant step towards bridging the digital divide and ensuring that every Indian citizen, regardless of their geographic location, has access to high-speed Internet services and the opportunities it offers.
