Jio Partners With SpaceX to Offer Starlink Broadband Internet Services in India

Jio Platforms Limited announced a strategic partnership with SpaceX on Wednesday, a move which will introduce Starlink broadband services in India. The Reliance Industries subsidiary says it will leverage the Elon Musk-owned company's constellation of low-Earth orbit satellites to provide its customers with high-speed broadband services even in the country's most remote and rural areas. Starlink equipment will be available to purchase in Reliance Jio stores along with customer service installation and activation, subject to SpaceX receiving authorisations from the regulatory authorities to sell Starlink in India.

Reliance Jio-Starlink Partnership

According to a press release from Jio Platforms Limited, Starlink compliments its existing high-speed broadband services such as JioAirFiber and JioFiber. It is claimed to expand the internet's availability in challenging locations quickly and affordably. This move is said to be in line with the telecom provider's ambitions of making high-speed internet accessible to not only enterprises, but also to small and medium businesses as well as communities across India.

After authorisations are granted from regulatory authorities, customers will be able to purchase Starlink equipment from Reliance Jio stores. Further, the telecom provider will also offer customer service installation and activation services on the behalf of the Elon Musk-owned company.

Following the announcement, Gwynne Shotwell, President and Chief Operating Officer of SpaceX said, “We are looking forward to working with Jio and receiving authorization from the Government of India to provide more people, organisations and businesses with access to Starlink's high-speed internet services.”

To further enhance India's digital ecosystem, both companies will also explore other complementary areas of cooperation, taking advantage of their respective infrastructure, which includes Starlink's vast low-Earth orbit satellite constellation. It is estimated to have almost 7,000 active satellites providing low-latency broadband services to some of the world's most remote regions.

This is the second agreement signed by the Elon Musk-owned company following the announcement of a similar partnership between SpaceX and Bharti Airtel, which will also sell Starlink equipment in its stores in India. Airtel is expected to offer Starlink services to business customers, communities, schools, and health centres among others.