Jio SpaceFiber Unveils Ultra-Fast Internet Connectivity

At India Mobile Congress 2023, Reliance Jio introduced a satellite-based gigabit Internet service called SpaceFiber in India. It aims to connect remote places in India which were previously impossible to connect to internet services. However, this has been going on for a long time and Jio will not start working until recently.

How does this technology work? Is this technology originally developed by Jio? What areas would it cover? These are several burning questions that you may have in your mind. Here we try to answer them and learn about Jio SpaceFiber, which many even compare to Elon Musk’s 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 MEO satellite technology. In fact, it is the only MEO constellation that enables gigabit “delivery of fiber-like services from space,” according to Jio. Notably, this puts Jio in a position where it has access to both SES’s O3b and O3b mPOWER satellites.

However, it should be noted that this is not a new partnership. The seeds of this were already planted in early 2022, when Jio announced a joint venture called Jio Space Technology Limited with SES to bring low-cost broadband services to India via satellite.

For those who are not familiar with SES, it is the first company in the world to successfully not only operate but also commercialize satellites in two orbits. It has launched more than 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 around the world. Along with Jio, SES has partnered with other big names including Amazon Web Services, Microsoft, Honeywell, Hughes Network Systems and SpaceX.

Which regions does Jio SpaceFiber serve?

Jio claims that to demonstrate the capability of SpaceFiber, it has initially selected “four of the most remote locations in India”. These sites include Gir in Gujarat, Korba in Chattisgrah, Nabarangpur in Odisha and ONGC-Jorhat in Assam. It’s not clear where the service will expand to next, but considering that Jio Fiber and AirFiber expanded quite quickly, the expansion shouldn’t take too long. This service would provide gigabit internet via satellites, which was previously unheard of for an Indian company.

Jio also notes that this service would help support “additional capacity for mobile backhaul” and improve the availability and coverage of Jio True5G in the remotest parts of the country.

To launch the service, Jio had to get approval from the Department of Telecommunications (DoT) to start rolling out broadband from space technology. They got the same approval in September 2022.

How is Jio Space Fiber different from Jio Fiber and AirFiber?

Unlike Jio Fiber, SpaceFiber technology is wireless and does not involve a fixed broadband connection to your home. Instead, it requires a direct connection to the satellite itself (in this case SES’s O3b and O3b mPOWER satellites), meaning that in remote areas little or no ground infrastructure installation is required, making it easier to connect to Internet services.

Traditional broadband fiber setups, including Jio Fiber, involve the installation of routers, wiring and other equipment. AirFiber is a Fixed Wireless Access (FWA) system, which is mainly wireless, but also includes the installation of an outdoor unit on the customer’s terrace, roof or outside the home. It includes indoor WiFi service and even home devices such as routers and 4K smart adapters at no additional cost. Notably, Jio SpaceFiber does not rely on terrestrial networks and instead uses SES satellites for internet connectivity.