Jio and Starlink are preparing to launch their satellite communication (SATCOM) services in India. In addition to them, the company OneWeb, supported by Airtel, has also received a license. Additional permits are currently awaited, after which satellite communication services will begin to be provided in India.
Elon Musk previously stated that his satellite internet service would help remote and rural areas where there is often a shortage of high-speed internet access. This raises the question of how exactly the satellite internet service functions.
The main advantage of satellite internet is that it provides internet access in places where internet towers have not yet been installed, where fiber optic cables have not reached, or where fiber optics are frequently damaged. Other areas fall into this category.
Starlink already provides satellite internet services in many countries. The company operates a constellation of low Earth orbit (LEO) satellites located at an altitude of approximately 330 to 550 kilometers above Earth.
Reliance Jio recently responded to Elon Musk on the social network X, stating its readiness to compete. In India, Jio possesses an extensive ecosystem of telecommunication and broadband services. Furthermore, the company is preparing to offer high-quality satellite internet service at a lower price.
Regular internet usually reaches mobile and home devices through signals from mobile towers or through fiber optic cables that reach the home. Satellite internet service functions completely differently: the signal transmission is carried out not through mobile towers or fiber optic lines, but via satellites.
To access satellite internet data, users need to install a terminal, or the so-called Starlink dish, at their home. This dish will directly send and receive signals from the satellite. The terminal connects to a Wi-Fi router inside the house using a cable. The Wi-Fi router generates a signal that provides internet access for phones, televisions, computers, and laptops.
Satellites act like towers located in the sky, receiving and transmitting signals received from ground stations. For example, if a user wants to play a video on a smartphone from YouTube, the phone sends a signal to the Wi-Fi router, which transmits the data to the terminal, and then the terminal sends the data to the satellite. Subsequently, the terminal helps play this video using ground network centers. This entire process is completed very quickly, so fast that an ordinary person does not notice it.
Competition for Starlink in India will be based not only on high internet speed but also on a number of issues that Musk will have to address.
For instance, the starting monthly plan for Starlink in America costs 55 US dollars (equivalent to approximately 5200 rupees), in addition to other higher-priced plans.