Satcom Showdown: Jio-SES vs Airtel-OneWeb vs Elon Musk’s Starlink
- by The New Indian Express
- Oct 25, 2024
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25 Oct 2024, 8:16 am
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NEW DELHI: The eighth edition of India Mobile Congress 2024 in Delhi concluded recently, not only showcasing cutting-edge telecommunication technology but also serving as a platform to debate on satellite communication. The most debated topic of the four-day event was whether the spectrum used for satellite communication should be allocated administratively or auctioned off.
Under the allocation route, the government would allocate spectrum to qualified companies, while for an auction route, companies would make bids for spectrum above the reserve price set by the government.
Indian telecom giants Reliance Jio, Bharti Airtel, and Vodafone Idea Limited favoured auctioning, while foreign players including Elon Musk's Starlink and Amazon's Project Kuiper advocated for administrative allocation, aligning with global practices.
The foreign players favoured administrative allocation because satellite spectrum or airwaves differ from terrestrial spectrum and is a shared resource. In simple terms, the same frequencies can be reused at the same geographic locations by multiple satellite networks.
The Indian government also expressed support for administrative allocation, citing global norms and technological constraints. In this article, we will delve into the technological capabilities of the three major Indian telecom operators and explore the intricacies of satellite spectrum, services, and their potential applications.
What are Satcom services?
Satellite-based communication systems (satcoms) or satellite communication services are a type of technology that utilises satellites to transmit and receive data or voice. In simpler terms, Satcom services connect people and places using satellites. Unlike terrestrial services that rely on cables or fiber optics, Satcom services eliminate the need for ground-based infrastructure, making them ideal for remote or challenging locations.
Satcom services offer several advantages. They provide wider coverage, making them beneficial for rural areas, low-lying regions, mountainous terrain, and disaster-prone zones where traditional networks are impractical or economically unfeasible. Additionally, Satcom services exhibit minimal latency, ensuring reliable communication even during emergencies or extreme weather conditions.
Who has what for satellite communication?
When it comes to providing satellite communication, Elon Musk-led Starlink has a significant advantage over other satellite communication providers, not only in India but worldwide. Currently, India’s Ministry of Communications has approved two licences: Jio Satellite Communications Limited, led by Reliance Jio, and OneWeb India Communications Private Limited, led by Bharti Enterprises. In terms of satellite technology, LEO (Low Earth Orbit) is best suited for communication services. Being closer to Earth, signals have a shorter distance to travel, resulting in lower latency compared to geostationary satellites (GEO).
As of September 2024, there were 6,426 Starlink satellites in orbit, of which 6,371 were working. The Starlink satellites orbit at an altitude of approximately 550 km. SpaceX plans to eventually have as many as 42,000 satellites as part of its ‘megaconstellation’.
Sunil Mittal-led Bharti Enterprises backs Eutelsat OneWeb’s network, which features more than 630 satellites along 12 carefully synchronized orbital planes at 1,200 km above Earth in low Earth orbit (LEO).
Eutelsat OneWeb, in which Bharti Enterprises has a 21.2% share, allows each satellite to connect seamlessly to antennas (user terminals) and the ground network below, transmitting data in real-time and at high speed.
Reliance Industries’ Jio Platforms, in partnership with Luxembourg’s SES, aims to provide satellite communication in India. SES has around 70 satellites operating in two different orbits, ground infrastructure, and deep industry expertise to deliver video and data services to 99% of the world’s population.
Amazon’s Project Kuiper is planning a constellation of 3,236 satellites operating in 98 orbital planes in low Earth orbit (LEO) at altitudes between 590 and 630 km.
Overall, Elon Musk’s Starlink is quite strong technically, and the company is already providing its satellite broadband services in more than 100 countries around the globe.
Elizabeth Howell
Aug 07, 2023
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