Reliance Eyes Multi-Billion-Dollar LEO Satellite Push To Take On Starlink: Report

Reliance Industries is reportedly exploring a major play into the satellite communications segment through a multi-billion-dollar investment in low earth orbit (LEO) satellites.

According to an ET report, the Mukesh Ambani-led conglomerate is evaluating both organic and inorganic expansion opportunities, including possible acquisitions of satellite companies with existing orbital slots and infrastructure.

“The company wants to be one of the biggest players in the satellite space, particularly in the LEO segment, which has immense potential,” the report quoted a source as saying. 

It said six teams have been formed internally to work on different aspects of the proposed satellite venture, including satellites, launches, payloads and user terminals.

For context, LEO satellites are satellites placed relatively close to earth, usually between 160 km and 2,000 km in altitude, unlike traditional satellites that operate much farther away. This allows LEO to offer faster communication and lower internet latency.

Reliance has also reportedly begun engaging with satellite technology firms and is in discussions with the Department of Telecommunications (DoT) regarding orbital slot filings with the International Telecommunication Union (ITU).

The company is also evaluating inorganic growth opportunities, including the potential acquisition of satellite firms that already possess orbital slots and infrastructure.

The satellite business is likely to be housed under Jio Platforms and could position the company against global satellite internet players such as Starlink, Amazon Kuiper and Eutelsat OneWeb.

However, discussions around the LEO ambitions are currently exploratory in nature, and no investment size or launch timeline has been finalised yet. Inc42 has reached out to Reliance for comments on the development. The story will be updated on receiving a response.

This comes amid increasing global investments in satellite communications and LEO constellations, with countries looking to strengthen digital sovereignty, surveillance capabilities and broadband connectivity infrastructure.

Reliance’s Satcom Play

Earlier in 2022, Reliance, through Jio Platforms, partnered with Luxembourg-based satellite operator SES to form Jio Space Technology Ltd to offer satellite broadband services in India. SES operates a multi-orbit satellite network combining geostationary earth orbit (GEO) satellites for broad coverage and medium earth orbit (MEO) satellites for low-latency, high-throughput connectivity services across enterprise, government, and telecom segments.

The joint venture later secured key approvals from the DoT and IN-SPACe, including GMPCS, ISP and VSAT licences, along with satellite landing rights and experimental spectrum for trials in 2024.

As part of the rollout, the two companies have already set up gateway and ground infrastructure in Andhra Pradesh and integrated SES’s GEO satellite SES-12 into Jio’s network plans. They are now reportedly preparing to deploy SES’s O3b mPOWER MEO satellite system to support enterprise broadband and 5G backhaul services with commercial launch currently awaiting final regulatory and security approvals.

India’s satellite broadband market has been heating up steadily over the past few years, with both global and domestic players looking to tap into the opportunity. Elon Musk-backed Starlink, which first announced plans to enter India in 2022, is still awaiting final security clearance.

Against this backdrop, there is also a growing focus on building indigenous satellite communication capabilities within the country. A domestic satellite network is increasingly being viewed as important for strengthening India’s digital sovereignty, improving data security, supporting surveillance requirements and safeguarding critical infrastructure.

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