A collaboration between Reliance Industries’ Jio Platforms and Luxembourg-based SES has received approval from India’s space regulator to deploy satellites.
According to Reuters, these clearances, granted to Orbit Connect India by the Indian National Space Promotion and Authorisation Centre (IN-SPACe) in April and June, will enable the provision of high-speed satellite internet.
This marks a significant development as various companies, including Amazon and Starlink, seek authorization to offer satellite communication services in India.
While these permissions allow Orbit Connect to operate satellites over India, additional approvals from the country’s telecom department are required to commence operations.
According to IN-SPACe chairman Pawan Goenka, Inmarsat, another company aiming to offer high-speed satellite internet, has also received approval to operate satellites over India. Additionally, Elon Musk’s Starlink and Amazon’s Kuiper have applied for similar permissions.
Eutelsat’s Bharti Enterprises-backed OneWeb received all required approvals late last year.
India’s satellite broadband market is projected to grow by 36% annually over the next five years, reaching $1.9 billion by 2030, according to Deloitte.
Globally, efforts to connect rural areas with space-based internet are ramping up. Amazon plans to invest $10 billion in its Kuiper project, launched in 2019, the same year SpaceX began deploying its first operational Starlink satellites.
Last week, Sri Lanka granted preliminary approval for Starlink to provide internet services.
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Goenka highlighted that greater competition in India’s satellite industry would benefit customers. IN-SPACe will soon authorize private companies to run ground stations, allowing satellite operators to download data as they pass over India.
Prime Minister Modi’s government, now in its third term, has been actively promoting the development of India’s space industry.
This year, they have opened the sector to foreign direct investment, allowing outside companies to fully invest in the manufacture of satellite components and systems without prior approval.
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