No comments: Akash Ambani on Elon Musk's oligarchs blocking Starlink licence charge

Reliance Jio Infocomm Chairman Akash Ambani said the company was making rapid progress on its satellite communication plans but refused to provide a specific timeline for launching its first fleet of low Earth orbit (LEO) satellites.Speaking exclusively to India Today on the sidelines of the India Mobile Congress, Ambani was asked about Elon Musk’s recent comments and the government’s response to them. He declined to comment on the matter.“No comments. We want to be heads down and deliver value to our Indian consumers,” Ambani said.He added that satellite technology would play an important role in expanding broadband connectivity, particularly for homes that remain outside the reach of conventional networks. “Satellite is one of the technologies that's one of the biggest use cases is home broadband,” Ambani said, adding that Jio was already focused on ensuring that Indian households had access to broadband services.According to Ambani, satellite connectivity would help extend the reach of broadband services rapidly. He said Jio was making “good progress” in developing an end-to-end indigenous technology stack for its satellite service.ELON MUSK 'OLIGARCH' COMMENTElon Musk’s Starlink is seeking to launch its satellite internet services in India, with a focus on expanding connectivity in rural and underserved areas. The company has received a licence to operate in the country, along with two other satellite broadband providers, but is awaiting final security and spectrum-related clearances before beginning commercial operations.Musk had claimed that unnamed “oligarchs” were attempting to block Starlink’s entry into India to protect existing monopolies.The Indian government rejected the claim and said satellite spectrum would be allocated through a fair and transparent regulatory process.Starlink has been preparing India-specific infrastructure and security systems as part of its plans to begin operations.The company has said its satellite network could help bridge connectivity gaps in areas where conventional broadband infrastructure remains limited.The Ministry of Communications rejected Elon Musk’s claims that Starlink’s regulatory approval process in India was unfair or discriminatory.“The suggestion that the framework or its application is unfair or discriminatory is baseless and misconceived,” the ministry said.The ministry said the regulatory framework for satellite services was transparent and non-discriminatory, and noted that licences had been granted to three providers - Starlink, Reliance Jio and Airtel-backed OneWeb.'JIO'S TECH TO BE ON PAR WITH GLOBAL STANDARDS'The Reliance Jio chief also said that the company wanted its satellite technology to be at par with, or ahead of, global standards, similar to its approach with other technologies it has launched.Ambani, however, stopped short of announcing a launch date for Jio’s satellite service.“I don't want to give an exact answer of when we will launch,” he said, while reiterating the company’s broader goal of ensuring that every Indian home has access to a broadband connection.- Ends