After Airtel announced its partnership with SpaceX to launch Starlink internet services in India, Mukesh Ambani’s Jio followed suit on Wednesday, announcing a similar agreement with Elon Musk’s company.
As per a regulatory filing by Reliance Industries, Jio Platforms has announced an agreement with SpaceX to offer Starlink’s broadband internet services to its customers in India.
This agreement, which is subject to SpaceX receiving its own authorisations to sell Starlink in India, enables Jio and SpaceX to explore how Starlink can extend Jio’s offerings and how Jio can complement SpaceX’s direct offerings to consumers and businesses. Jio will make Starlink solutions available through its retail outlets as well as through its online storefronts.
Through this agreement, the parties will leverage Jio’s position as the world’s largest mobile operator in terms of data traffic and Starlink’s position as the world’s leading low Earth orbit satellite constellation operator to deliver reliable broadband services across the country, including the most rural and remote regions of India.
Jio will not only offer Starlink equipment in its retail outlets but will establish a mechanism to support customer service installation and activation.
The agreement with SpaceX is part of Jio’s commitment to ensuring that reliable internet is fully accessible to all enterprises, small and medium businesses, and communities across India. Starlink complements JioAirFiber and JioFiber by extending high speed internet to the most challenging of locations in a quick and affordable manner, as per the Company.
Jio and SpaceX are also evaluating other complementary areas of cooperation to leverage their respective infrastructure to further enhance India’s digital ecosystem.
“Ensuring that every Indian, no matter where they live, has access to affordable and high-speed broadband remains Jio’s top priority. Our collaboration with SpaceX to bring Starlink to India strengthens our commitment and marks a transformative step toward seamless broadband connectivity for all. By integrating Starlink into Jio’s broadband ecosystem, we are expanding our reach and enhancing the reliability and accessibility of highspeed broadband in this AI-driven era, empowering communities and businesses across the country,” Mathew Oommen, Group CEO, Reliance Jio, said.
“We applaud Jio’s commitment to advancing India’s connectivity. We are looking forward to working with Jio and receiving authorization from the Government of India to provide more people, organizations and businesses with access to Starlink’s high-speed internet services,” Gwynne Shotwell, President and Chief Operating Officer of SpaceX, said.
