Jio is putting 1600 satellites in orbit, will provide satellite internet like Starlink: Report

Reliance Jio is reportedly planning to launch 1,600 satellites at an altitude of 650 km in low Earth orbit for its satellite connectivity service. This would put Reliance Jio's satellites above Starlink which has its network placed at an altitude of 550 km.Reliance Jio is planning to put 1,600 satellites in low Earth orbit as it prepares to take on Starlink.We are getting closer to seeing satellite connectivity services, like Elon Musk’s Starlink, begin operations in India. Reliance Jio has reportedly decided to place its proposed 1,600 satellites in low Earth orbit at an altitude of 650 km for its service as it prepares to compete against global satellite broadband players such as Elon Musk’s Starlink and Amazon Leo.As per a report from The Print, Reliance Jio is likely choosing the 650km altitude in low Earth orbit, which would put it above Starlink’s network which is placed at a 550km orbit. Amazon’s Leo network orbits the Earth at 630 km altitude. Senior officials from IN-SPACe, which is coordinating the project with Reliance Jio, reportedly confirmed that Jio’s network will operate in a relatively less-used orbital band.In the global market, Starlink remains the dominant low Earth orbit constellation with more than 10,000 satellites, while Amazon Leo’s initial design includes more than 3,000 satellites. Jio’s constellation will sit far below Bharti Airtel-backed Eutelsat OneWeb’s satellites, which are positioned at about 1,200 km. A higher orbit allows satellites to cover larger areas with fewer spacecraft, which is why OneWeb’s roughly 650 satellites could provide coverage similar to Jio’s planned 1,600. However, a signals from a lower orbit take less time to reach Earth.This report comes just days after the Digital Communications Commission (DCC) approved TRAI's recommendations for satellite communication services. It is believed that services like Starlink and Jio Satellite Communication can begin operations in India following cabinet approval and security clearances. Reliance Jio plans test flight for next yearThe project has received technical clearance, though the final constellation plan is still awaited. As per a report from Economic Times, Jio is targeting a test flight around 2027, with a few satellites to be launched first to check hardware, software and other technologies ahead of mass deployment from early 2028.Jio is expected to concentrate on India in the initial phase, with a focus on delivering high-speed broadband to underserved regions using high throughput satellites. The company has earlier proposed offering fixed satellite services such as broadband and cellular backhaul, as well as mobile satellite services like direct-to-device, and plans to set up 20-22 ground stations. Jio has also filed an application with the International Telecommunication Union for orbit slots, with the filing including technical details of the constellation. The company reportedly plans to begin services in India around 2028, deploy about 400-500 satellites by 2030, and complete the full constellation by 2035. Around 90-100 minimum coverage satellites are expected to be sent up within two to three quarters after the test launch.Each Jio satellite is expected to provide 100-150 Gbps of throughput. When deployment is complete, 30-32 satellites are expected to be in orbit over India, offering 4-4.8 Tbps of capacity, or around 5 Tbps over the country. This is higher than the proposed capacity figures cited for other planned constellations in India, with Starlink cleared for 600 Gbps and Amazon Leo having applied for 3 Tbps over India.As per previous reports, the Department of Telecommunications (DoT) is expected to take the satcom proposal to the cabinet soon. It is believed that the approved framework includes a 5 per cent spectrum usage charge on adjusted gross revenue for satcom services, with a lower effective charge of 4 per cent for operators serving designated rural and remote areas.Elon Musk has commented on bringing Starlink to India on multiple occasions in the past. Recently he wrote on X, “Starlink would help the least served in India, especially in rural areas.”- EndsPublished By: Armaan AgarwalPublished On: Sep 11, 2026 16:19 IST