Jio, SES Announce Jio Space Technology Limited, To Deliver Satellite Connectivity

Jio Platforms Limited, and SES today announced Jio Space Technology Limited, a JV to deliver satellite broadband services in India.

Jio Space Technology Limited

In the new joint venture, Jio will own 51%, and SES will take the rest. Jio Space Technology Limited will use multi-orbit space networks, made up of both GEO and MEO satellite constellations. According to the companies, this will allow JSTL to deliver multi-gigabit links and capacity to enterprises, mobile backhaul, and retail customers in India and neighboring regions.

Furthermore, for SES, Jio Space Technology Limited will be the vehicle for its satellite connectivity services in India. The satcom company will deliver 100 Gbps capacity and will leverage Jio’s position and sales reach in India to unlock this market opportunity.

On the occasion, Akash Ambani, Director of Jio, said, "while we continue to expand our fiber-based connectivity and FTTH business and invest in 5G, this new joint venture with SES will further accelerate the growth of multigigabit broadband". He added, "with additional coverage and capacity offered by satellite communications services, Jio will be able to connect the remotest towns and villages, enterprises, government establishments, and consumers to the new Digital India".

Also, Steve Collar, CEO of SES, said, "this joint venture with JPL is a great example of how SES can complement even the most extensive terrestrial networks to deliver high-quality connectivity, and positively affect the lives of hundreds of millions of people. We look forward to this joint venture whereby we can play a role in promoting digital inclusion in India".

Details of the Plan

According to the investment plan, Jio Space Technology Limited will develop gateway infrastructure in the country, to deliver satellite-based connectivity. Notably, Jio is the anchor customer of the JV and therefore will invest around $100 million as a multi-year capacity purchase agreement.

Along with this, Jio Space Technology Limited will use SES-12, a GEO satellite serving India, and O3b mPOWER, SES’s MEO constellation. On the other hand, Jio will offer managed services and gateway infrastructure operations services to the JV. Therefore, Jio will handle the land infrastructure, while SES will deliver the satellites.