After Airtel, now Reliance Jio inks deal with SpaceX to bring Starlink internet to India

Jio will stock Starlink equipment in its retail stores and also offer customer service installation and activation.

Though the deal has been inked, SpaceX is yet to receive its own authorisation to sell Starlink in India.

The deal has emerged as surprising as the two companies have been at the loggerheads over how India will grant spectrum for satellite services.

While Jio batted for auction, the Indian government backed Musk's proposal of allocating administratively.

In a statement, Jio said the agreement will enable the two parties to 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 and SpaceX are also evaluating other complementary areas of cooperation to leverage their respective infrastructure to further enhance India's digital ecosystem.

"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 high-speed broadband in this AI-driven era, empowering communities and businesses across the country," said Mathew Oommen, Group CEO of Reliance Jio.

Gwynne Shotwell, President and Chief Operating Officer of SpaceX, said, "We are looking forward to working with Jio and reviewing authorisation from the Government of India to provide more people, organisations and businesses with access to Starlink's high-speed internet services."

The Reliance-SpaceX agreement comes just a day after Bharti Airtel announced a similar deal to bring Starlink’s high-speed internet services to its customers in India.

It enables Airtel and SpaceX to further explore how Starlink can complement and expand Airtel’s offerings, and how Airtel’s expertise in the Indian market complements SpaceX’s direct offerings to consumers and businesses.

Airtel and SpaceX will explore offering Starlink equipment in Airtel’s retail stores, Starlink services via Airtel to business customers, opportunities to connect communities, schools, and health centers, among many others, in even the most rural parts of India. Airtel and SpaceX will also explore how Starlink could help expand and enhance the Airtel network, as well as SpaceX’s ability to utilize and benefit from Airtel’s ground network infrastructure and other capabilities in India.

Airtel said it remains committed to delivering comprehensive and reliable connectivity and digital solutions leveraging advanced technology with a focus on customer-centric services.

By adding Starlink, (in addition to its existing alliance with Eutelsat OneWeb) to its offerings, Airtel will further its ability to offer nationwide connectivity and connect previously underserved areas, particularly those with limited to no coverage today. With Starlink enterprise suite, Airtel will be able to offer enterprises, businesses, and communities comprehensive and seamless connectivity packages.