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Jio SpaceFiber service was unveiled at IMC 2023 today. (Image: Jio)
How does Jio SpaceFiber technology work? What areas would it cover? Here, let’s try to answer some of the most common questions you might have.
At the India Mobile Congress 2023, Reliance Jio unveiled its satellite-based gigabit internet service called SpaceFiber in India. It aims to connect India’s remote locations that were previously impossible to connect to internet services. However, this has been a long time coming and isn’t something that Jio only started to work on recently.
How does this technology work? Is this technology natively developed by Jio? What areas would it cover? These are multiple burning questions that you might have in mind. Here, let’s try to answer them and learn the nitty-gritty about Jio SpaceFiber, which many are even comparing to Elon Musk-owned SpaceX Starlink service.
Jio Has Partnered With SES To Deliver Gigabit Internet
To facilitate the launch of SpaceFiber, Jio has partnered with SES to gain access to the world’s latest medium earth orbit (MEO) satellite technology. In fact, it is the only MEO constellation that allows the delivery of gigabit “fiber-like services from space,” according to Jio. Notably, this also puts Jio in a position where it has access to SES’s both O3b and O3b mPOWER satellites.
However, it must be noted that this isn’t a new partnership. The seeds of this were planted all the way back in early 2022 when Jio announced a joint venture called Jio Space Technology Limited with SES to bring affordable broadband services to India via satellites.
For those unfamiliar with SES, it is the first company in the world that has successfully managed to not only operate but also commercialize satellites in two orbits. It has launched over 70 satellites in two different orbits: geostationary orbit (GEO) and medium Earth orbit (MEO), which have helped provide video and data services to millions of customers worldwide. Alongside Jio, SES has partnered with other big names, including Amazon Web Services, Microsoft, Honeywell, Hughes Network Systems, and SpaceX.
Which Regions Will Jio SpaceFiber Cater To?
Jio claims that to demonstrate SpaceFiber’s prowess, it has initially chosen “four of the remotest locations in India.” These locations include Gir in Gujarat, Korba in Chattisgrah, Nabarangpur in Odisha, and ONGC-Jorhat in Assam. It isn’t clear where the service will expand to next, but considering Jio Fiber and AirFiber expanded quite quickly, it shouldn’t take too much time to expand further. This service would provide gigabit internet through satellites, which was previously unheard of by an Indian company.
Jio also notes that this service would help support “additional capacity for mobile backhaul” and improve the availability and scale of Jio True5G in the remotest parts of the country.
To launch the service, Jio had to obtain approval from the Department of Telecommunications (DoT) to start implementing the broadband from space technology. They received the same approval in September 2022.
How Is Jio SpaceFiber Different Compared To Jio Fiber and AirFiber?
Unlike Jio Fiber, SpaceFiber technology is wireless and involves no fixed-line broadband connection to your home. It instead requires a direct connection to the satellite itself (SES’s O3b and O3b mPOWER satellites in this case), which means little on-ground infrastructure setup is needed in remote areas–making it easier to connect to internet services.
Traditional broadband fiber setups, including Jio Fiber involve the setup of routers, wiring, and other apparatus. AirFiber is a Fixed Wireless Access (FWA) system, which is mostly wireless but also involves the installation of an outdoor unit on customers’ terraces, rooftops, or outside their homes. It comes with indoor WiFi service and even home devices like routers and 4K Smart Set-Top Boxes at no additional cost.
Disclaimer:Network18 and TV18 – the companies that operate news18.com – are controlled by Independent Media Trust, of which Reliance Industries is the sole beneficiary.
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