Reliance says Jio awaits the same approvals as Starlink — Dawn
Indian conglomerate Reliance said it welcomes competition from Elon Musk’s Starlink satellite internet, while its own Jio satellite services are also awaiting the necessary approvals to launch in India. This was the company’s first response to Musk’s allegations that Mukesh Ambani was allegedly obstructing Starlink’s entry into the Indian market, Dawn reports.
Reliance’s response to Musk’s statements
In a statement released on Friday, Reliance did not mention Musk by name but said it wanted to “set the facts straight.” The company said: “At Reliance, we have never feared competition.” Earlier, Musk repeatedly accused the Indian government and Ambani of delaying Starlink’s years-long efforts to begin operating in the country. India rejected claims that the approval process was biased.
In response, Starlink said it had been working with Indian regulators and the industry for more than five years. The company said it had created dedicated systems, ground gateways and other infrastructure in India with the necessary government approvals, and was ready to connect the country to high-speed internet. Musk separately responded to Reliance’s statement by saying: “Much appreciated.”
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Licenses are in place, but no launches
India has already issued licenses for the provision of services to Starlink, Jio’s satellite internet unit and Eutelsat OneWeb, backed by Bharti. At the same time, according to Dawn, none of these companies has yet received the security clearance required to launch services.
Jio Platforms, the digital unit of Reliance Industries, is preparing for an IPO in which the company is seeking a valuation of $108 billion. Jio includes Reliance’s telecommunications business, which has more than 530 million customers and could compete with Starlink in India’s internet market. Satellite broadband could potentially provide connectivity to hundreds of millions of Indian residents who still lack internet access, mostly in rural and remote areas.
