India's Jio and Airtel gear up for satellite internet rollout

Regulatory clearance has opened the way for multiple satellite‑internet providers to launch commercial services across India. Reliance Jio is partnering with SES to deploy a medium‑earth‑orbit constellation under the JioSpaceFiber brand, targeting 20‑22 gateway stations and a combined capacity of about 5 Tbps. Bharti Airtel is working with Eutelsat OneWeb, already installing gateway stations in Gujarat and Tamil Nadu. SpaceX’s Starlink is preparing 9‑10 ground stations, while Amazon’s Project Kuiper aims for a large‑scale rollout by 2027‑28.

The companies anticipate a price competition. Jio expects monthly plans between ₹500 and ₹1,000 with heavy device subsidies, whereas Starlink may require a one‑time hardware purchase of ₹30,000‑₹34,000. Both Jio and Airtel plan to embed artificial‑intelligence systems to optimise network load and pre‑empt faults, complementing India’s push toward 6G. The combined effort promises high‑speed broadband to remote villages, hills and forested areas without reliance on terrestrial towers.