Eutelsat OneWeb’s Leap in India’s Satellite Broadband: Surpassing Jio and Starlink

In the competitive arena of satellite broadband services in India, Eutelsat OneWeb, supported by Bharti, is poised to outshine its rivals, including Elon Musk’s Starlink and Mukesh Ambani’s Reliance Jio, marking a significant milestone as the first major global satellite entity to introduce broadband-from-space in the country.

Eutelsat OneWeb distinguishes itself by obtaining temporary demonstration satellite spectrum rights in the ‘Ka’ and ‘Ku’ bands, leveraging an administrative path for a 90-day period. This strategy sets it apart from Starlink’s consumer-focused model, as Eutelsat OneWeb emphasizes a business-to-business (B2B) approach. The ‘Ka‘ band is essential for earth station operations, whereas the ‘Ku‘ band facilitates user access terminals.

The company is currently running trials with key defense and public sector clients in India, preparing for a comprehensive commercial launch. An executive revealed to ET that Eutelsat OneWeb is on the verge of securing commercial satellite spectrum allocation and is committed to adhering to the Department of Telecommunications (DoT) regulatory standards.

With the DoT finalizing the administrative allocation of satellite spectrum and setting pricing based on the new Telecommunication Act of 2023, Eutelsat aims to serve enterprises, defense, aviation, maritime sectors, and governmental bodies. The company’s initiative to extend satellite connectivity, particularly in rural areas lacking terrestrial backhaul links, showcases its ambition to bridge the digital divide and enhance mobile broadband coverage.

Eutelsat OneWeb is set to compete with Jio, Starlink, Amazon Kuiper, and the Tatas, already holding necessary licenses and operating earth stations in Gujarat and near Chennai. This places the company at the forefront of India’s growing satellite communication market.

India’s focus on satellite broadband is to address the connectivity gap in remote and rural areas. With the Indian National Space Promotion and Authorization Centre (IN-SPACe) estimating the space economy’s growth to $44 billion by 2033 and recent policy amendments encouraging foreign investment in the space sector, Eutelsat OneWeb is well-positioned to make a significant impact in bridging India’s digital divide.

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