Jio SpaceFiber: Described in Detail, Its Functions, and What It Is

Reliance Jio debuted SpaceFiber, an internet service based on satellites, during the India Mobile Congress in 2023. It attempts to provide internet access to India’s distant areas, which was previously unfeasible. However, Jio hasn’t just lately begun working on this; it has been a long time coming.

How is this technology operated upon? Is Jio the one developing this technology natively? What regions would it encompass? You may have more urgent queries in mind in addition to these. Let’s attempt to address them now and discover the specifics of Jio SpaceFiber, which many have even drawn comparisons to the SpaceX Starlink service, which is owned by Elon Musk.

Jio and SES Have Joined Forces To Provide Gigabit Internet

Jio has collaborated with SES to get access to the most advanced medium earth orbit (MEO) satellite technology available globally, in order to expedite the launch of SpaceFiber. According to Jio, it is indeed the only MEO constellation that permits the transmission of gigabit “fiber-like services from space.” Interestingly, Jio is now in a position to utilize SES’s O3b and O3b mPOWER satellites.

It is important to remember that this is not a brand-new collaboration. The roots of this were sown back in early 2022 when Jio and SES established a joint company named Jio Space Technology Limited with the goal of using satellites to provide inexpensive internet services to India.

For the benefit of those who do not know, SES is the first firm in the world to have operated and successfully marketed satellites in two orbits. It has launched more than 70 satellites into geostationary orbit (GEO) and medium Earth orbit (MEO), which have assisted in supplying millions of users globally with data and video services. SES has collaborations with major corporations such as Microsoft, Honeywell, Hughes Network Systems, Amazon Web Services, and SpaceX in addition to Jio.

Which Areas Are Jio SpaceFiber Targeting?

Jio said that it has first selected “four of the remotest locations in India” to showcase SpaceFiber’s capabilities. These places include ONGC-Jorhat in Assam, Korba in Chattisgrah, Gir in Gujarat, and Nabarangpur in Odisha. Although the service’s next expansion destination is unknown, given how rapidly Jio Fiber and AirFiber grew, it shouldn’t take too long for it to do so. Through satellites, this service would provide gigabit internet—something that no Indian firm had ever done before.

Additionally, Jio states that this service would enhance the availability and scope of Jio True5G in the most distant areas of the nation by supporting “additional capacity for mobile backhaul.”

Jio needed permission from the Department of Telecommunications (DoT) to begin deploying broadband from space technology in order to launch the service. The same permission was granted to them in September of 2022.

What Distinguishes Jio SpaceFiber From Jio Fiber and AirFiber?

SpaceFiber technology is wireless and does not need a fixed-line broadband connection to your house, in contrast to Jio Fiber. Instead, it necessitates a direct link to the satellite (in this example, SES’s O3b and O3b mPOWER satellites), which reduces the amount of on-ground infrastructure deployment required in distant locations and facilitates internet service access.

In conventional broadband fiber configurations, such as Jio Fiber, routers, cables, and other equipment must be put up. AirFiber is a Fixed Wireless Access (FWA) system that consists of an outside unit installed on customers’ roofs, patios, or outside their houses. It operates mostly wirelessly. In addition to free home equipment like routers and 4K Smart Set-Top Boxes, it also includes indoor WiFi service.