Reliance Jio Receives Letter of Intent From Telecom Department to Set Up Mobile Satellite Network

The Department of Telecommunications (DoT) has issued a letter of intent (LoI) to the Reliance Jio Infocomm’s satellite unit, according to information from some industry sources, as per a report. The permission will allow Jio to set up global mobile personal communication by satellite (GMPCS) services in the areas for which it has received the license to work. The mobile satellite networks can work in sync with the low-earth orbit (LEO), medium Earth orbit (MEO) as well as the Geosynchronous (GEO) satellites.

According to a PTI report, citing industry sources, the Reliance Jio Infocomm’s satellite unit, also known as the Jio Satellite Communications Limited (JSCL), has received a letter of intent (LoI) from the Telecom Department of India, permitting the company to set up and operate the global mobile personal communication by satellite (GMPCS) services.

The LoI, as per the sources, was issued to the telecom company on Monday. With the permit, Reliance Jio can set up and operate the GMPCS services in the areas for which the government has granted it the licence.

The licences issued to the company will be valid for a period of 20 years. They will be in effect from the date when it is granted to the company after the completion of stipulated conditions.

GMPCS services offer voice and data services via satellite. For the operation, these mobile satellites can work in combination with the with low-earth orbit (LEO), medium Earth orbit (MEO) and Geosynchronous (GEO) satellites.

Earlier this year, Reliance Jio announced its plans to provide satellite-based broadband services across India in collaboration with Luxembourg-based SES. The new step brings Jio at par with Elon Musk’s SpaceX and Sunil Mittal’s OneWeb to provide high-speed internet services.