Jio Satellite Communications Ltd and Eutelsat OneWeb have received the necessary licenses to offer satellite internet in India. Both companies have the GMPCS (Global Mobile Personal Communication by Satellite) license along with a pan-India ISP (Internet Service Provider) license. According to a report from the Financial Express, DoT on Wednesday allotted ISP-A along with a VSAT (Very Small Aperture Terminal) license to OneWeb. Jio had bagged the ISP license in October itself, said the report.
However, one major hurdle that both companies currently face is that of the satellite spectrum. The satellite spectrum is currently under debate internally by the government. There are parties that want it to be allocated administratively while some parties want it to be auctioned.
Read More - Jio Demonstrates Satellite-Based Gigabit Fiber Service, JioSpaceFiber at IMC2023
JioSpaceFiber was showcased by Jio at the India Mobile Congress (IMC) 2023. At the same time, Airtel's booth showcased the solutions from Eutelsat OneWeb. One thing is for sure, Jio Satellite Communications and Eutelsat OneWeb would be the first of companies to launch satellite internet services in India for enterprises. The key word to note here is enterprises. These companies are not focused on bringing the services for consumers right now.
Read More - OneWeb to Begin Satellite Services in India From Next Month: Sunil Bharti Mittal
At the same time, it is worth noting that Amazon and Starlink are also trying to obtain the GMPCS license in India. Starlink is expected to receive the license in the near future. Elon Musk-owned Starlink is already present in many countries and is offering seamless internet services through satellites. In India, the company tried to sell pre-bookings but was asked by the authorities to refund the amount to the customers and stop selling pre-bookings without the necessary licenses to offer services.
That was a big setback for the company. However, it did allow Starlink to test the kind of demand that would come from the Indian market.
