Reliance Jio, Hughes Communication build 4G LTE Network

Reliance Jio Infocomm, a subsidiary of Reliance Industries, has built a 4G LTE network with 4G LTE technology. It can be easily upgraded to support even more data, as technologies advance on to 5G, 6G and beyond. It envisions to provide ubiquitous and seamless connectivity to each and every part of India. As part of an aggressive expansion strategy, the company wants to create a captive network of their own to connect 4G/LTE sites especially those beyond the reach of terrestrial backhaul solution. The company wants to establish a network solution which will be ideal and efficient to support their ambitious plan.

The Challenges:

• Lack of backhaul infrastructure  and connectivity, especially in the rural and remote areas.
• High deployment costs and right of way (RoW) issues in laying fibre to connect towers.
• Challenging timelines to ensure seam-less connectivity across hilly areas and islands, due to height and difficult terrain.

Solutions Offered:

• Reliance Jio was offered a first-of-its-kind nationwide satellite backhaul-based network, using state-of-the-art technology from Hughes Communications India (HCIL) and a managed service to include network planning, implementation, operation and maintenance.
• The network deployed ‘Hughes JUPITER System to offer high-throughput terminals and future-proof multi-service capabilities and connect more than 400 cell sites of Reliance Jio with bandwidth in the range of 30-50 mega-bit per second.

Highlights of Impact:

• Hughes’s satellite network being used.
  by Reliance Jio provided 50% advantage in terms of bandwidth, offering compression and acceleration natively for LTE traffic.
• Hughes Jupiter delivered more than 200 Mbps of TCP throughput per terminal and included built-in 4G/LTE optimisation capability that yielded 30% to 60% bandwidth savings versus that of standard satellite backhaul solutions.
• Army base in Kargil and Siachen have recorded maximum traction and are benefited significantly, followed by temple towns like Kedarnath and Badrinath, successfully uplifting these rural areas from 2G/3G coverage to 4G/LTE services.

Sustaining the Impact: 

• The satellite has proven to be the ideal technology for extending 4G service to remote and rural communities beyond the reach of terrestrial networks.
• Reliance Jio’s Nationwide Satellite Backhaul Network in association with Hughes aims to connect 400 remote sites in India by 2019 with mobile broadband over satellite.
• Hughes is committed to evolving and extending the satellite network as India plans to welcome 5G in the country.

Shivaji Chatterjee 

(The author is Senior VP & Head,  Enterprise Business, Hughes Communications India) .