Reliance's Jio Satellite Communications has reportedly made required submissions for its satcom services to the Indian National Space Promotion and Authorization Centre (IN-SPACe). Landing rights and market access authorisations are necessary for the telecom operator’s launch of satellite-based gigabit fibre services in India.
According to a report by The Economic Times, the firm is likely to receive the approval soon. The authorisation process of the space industry regulator is extensive, requiring approvals from various ministries and security clearances. The company has received a global mobile personal communications by satellite services (GMPCS) license by the Department of Telecommunications.
In February 2022, Jio entered into a joint venture with SES, a Luxembourg-based satellite communications service provider, to obtain access to the medium earth orbit satellite technology.
After the Telecommunications Bill, 2023, was passed in the Parliament, enabling the allocation of satellite airwaves, it paved the way for key players like Bharti-backed Eutelsat OneWeb, Reliance’s Jio Satellite Communications Ltd and SpaceX’s Starlink to enter the Indian market. The legislative backing to the allocation of satellite spectrum via the administrative route could hasten the process.
One Web is the only global satellite constellation operator to have been issued the required approvals from IN-SPACe. While Starlink is yet to get approval from the Indian government, Amazon’s Kuiper is preparing to apply for the government nod, as per the reports by Mint last year.
After receiving the spectrum, the company's president, Mathew Oommen said that Jio's satellite arm can launch JioSpaceFiber services in a matter of weeks.
India’s space economy has the potential to hit $44 billion by 2033, and account for about 8% of the global share from around 2% now, according to recent estimates by IN-SPACe.
