Jio Satellite Communication and Indian Enterprises’ company, OneWeb, got permission from the government to begin satellite internet service in India.
Both companies received a special license called the Pan India Internet Service Provider (ISP) license, which allows them to provide internet through satellites to people all over India.
It’s important to know that the ISP license is different from GMPCS (Global Mobile Personal Communication Satellite).
Any company that wants to provide satellite internet service must first obtain a GMPCS license. Jio and OneWeb had already obtained the GMPCS license.
Now, with the ISP license, both companies can soon start satellite-based internet service in India.
However, they need more information about how satellite spectrum allocation works before they can start the service.
Last Wednesday, the Department of Telecommunications (DOT) gave OneWeb an ISP A (National Area) license and a VSAT (Very Small Aperture Terminal) license.
Jio Satellite got the ISP license last month. If you’re not familiar with VSAT, it’s a device with an antenna that’s usually about one meter in diameter.
VSAT can send and get data, voice, and video signals. It helps banks and ATM machines in rural areas connect to each other.
VSAT is commonly used to help mobile phones connect to the internet.
Jio showcased its satellite internet in IMC 2023
Last month, on October 27, at a big meeting about mobile phones in India, Jio talked about JioSpaceFiber.
It’s a special internet service using satellites and is the first one like this in India.
This internet can be very fast and might help in places that are difficult to get to.
The company made JioSpaceFiber work in faraway places like Gir in Gujarat, Korba in Chhattisgarh, Nabarangpur in Odisha, and Jorhat in Assam.
That means people in these areas can use this service now.
When will the connection start?
Right now, both companies haven’t told us when people will start getting internet from satellites. Maybe Jio will begin this service next year.
