SpaceX announced its second Starlink operator partnership in India on Wednesday – this one with Jio Platforms – just a day after establishing a partnership with Bharti Airtel in anticipation of Starlink getting regulatory approvals to operate in the country.
The Jio Platforms deal is similar to the Airtel agreement in that both companies will explore how Starlink’s LEO satellite offering can extend Jio’s offerings and how Jio can complement Starlink’s direct offerings to consumers and businesses.
Jio will make Starlink solutions and equipment available through its retail outlets and online storefronts, and will also establish a mechanism to support customer service installation and activation.
Jio Platforms and SpaceX will also evaluate other areas of cooperation to leverage their respective infrastructure to further develop India’s digital ecosystem.
“By integrating Starlink into Jio’s broadband ecosystem, we are expanding our reach and enhancing the reliability and accessibility of high- speed broadband in this AI-driven era, empowering communities and businesses across the country,” said Reliance Jio Group CEO Mathew Oommen in a statement.
As with the Airtel tie-up, the Starlink-Jio partnership is contingent on Starlink receiving all the necessary regulatory clearances to operate in India.
ETTelecom reported last month that India’s space regulatory agency IN-SPACe is likely to approve Starlink for operations in India “imminently”. Starlink also needs to get a GMPCS licence and spectrum from the Department of Telecommunications (DoT) before it can start selling services.
Jio is also working with LEO satellite operator Eutelsat OneWeb via Orbit Connect India, the JV it established with SES in 2022. OneWeb received clearance from IN-SPACe to offer commercial services to business customers in November 2023, as well as a GMPCS licence from the DoT.
Last October, the DoT provisionally allocated satellite spectrum to OneWeb and Orbit Connect for testing satellite broadband services.
