SES Awaits Regulatory Nod to Launch Jio-Backed Satellite Broadband Services in India: Report

SES Awaits Regulatory Nod to Launch Jio-Backed Satellite Broadband Services in India
Luxembourg-based satellite operator SES is awaiting final security approvals from the Indian government to commercially launch its satellite-based broadband services in partnership with Reliance Jio. The company’s medium Earth orbit (MEO) communications satellite system, O3b mPOWER, will deliver enterprise-grade connectivity and support 5G backhaul infrastructure in remote and underserved areas across India. SES’s newly inducted O3b mPOWER satellites will enable Jio’s satellite broadband offering for enterprises in the country.

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SES and Jio Await Final Green Light

“I think the last bit of security regulations are being sorted out. In my opinion, we are ready to go. We are already doing proof-of-concepts (PoC), but we’re not allowed to carry commercial traffic. But in my opinion, we are just a few months away, and launch within the year,” said Harsh Verma, Head of Asia Pacific, Fixed and Maritime, SES, in an interview with ETSatcom. He added that the company has completed the necessary ground infrastructure deployment and other necessary operational processes over the past two years.

On Thursday, SES launched two additional satellites—O3b mPOWER 9 and 10—aboard a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket from Cape Canaveral, Florida. These assets are expected to significantly enhance the capacity and performance of SES’s global network, further bolstering its service offering for Jio in India.

O3b mPOWER Satellites to Support 5G Backhaul

“For the 5G backhauling services, which is the core of their (Jio’s) network and infrastructure planning, and deployment, they (Jio) are looking at O3b mPower system. Jio is also using our geostationary asset – SES-12,” Verma reportedly noted.

The SES-Jio collaboration, formalised through their joint venture Jio Space Technology Limited in 2022, has already delivered geostationary capacity via SES-12. The partners have also established satellite ground infrastructure (gateways) in Kadapa, Andhra Pradesh, in compliance with Department of Telecommunications (DoT) security regulations.