After Airtel, Ambani's Jio Strikes Satellite Internet Deal With Musk's Starlink

RIVALS TURN PARTNERS

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In a significant development for the telecommunications landscape, Jio Platforms, owned by billionaire Mukesh Ambani, has announced a partnership with Elon Musk's SpaceX to bring Starlink satellite internet services to the Indian market. The announcement comes just one day after rival Bharti Airtel revealed a similar agreement with SpaceX.

The collaboration marks a surprising turn of events following months of industry debate over spectrum allocation methods for satellite services in India. Both Jio and Airtel had previously advocated for auction-based spectrum allocation rather than administrative assignment.

"Through this agreement, the parties will 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 stated in its official announcement.