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Reliance Jio today announced that it successfully demonstrated India's first satellite-based giga fiber service 'JioSpaceFiber' at the Indian Mobile Congress (IMC). With satellite-based broadband services, remote areas where cellular connectivity is unavailable or poor, people will still get access to the internet.
Jio has partnered with Luxembourg-based Société Européenne des Satellites (SES) to access its medium earth orbit (MEO) satellites O3b and O3b mPOWER to provide satellite-based fiber service. It said that this is the only MEO constellation that can actually provide fiber-like fast broadband services from space. SES currently has over 70 satellites in two different orbits.
The telco adds that SES is the only company "that offers game-changing technology, providing scalable and affordable broadband across all of India with a level of guaranteed reliability and service flexibility that is a first in the industry."
"Jio have enabled millions of homes and businesses in India to experience broadband
internet for the first time. With JioSpaceFiber, we expand our reach to cover the millions yet to be connected. JioSpaceFiber will allow everyone, everywhere, to fully participate in the new digital society with gigabit access to online government, education, health, and entertainment services," said Akash Ambani, Chairman Reliance Jio Infocomm Limited at the launch.
The telco said that JioSpaceFiber will be available across the country at "highly affordable prices." JioSpaceFiber is already available in four of the remotest locations in India including Gir in Gujarat, Korba in Chattisgarh, Nabrangpur in Odissa, and ONGC Jorhat in Assam. Jio is yet to reveal plans for when its satellite-based fiber service will be available pan India. While it has already confirmed affordable plans for JioSpaceFiber, it is yet to reveal prices.
JioSpaceFiber is the latest venture for the telco with its 5G services, and broadband fiber services already up and running across the country. It's interesting to see real-life demonstrations of Jio's satellite-based internet connectivity, especially in the country's remote areas.