What is satellite internet and how will it function in India, according to Reliance JioSpaceFiber?

JioSpaceFiber will send and receive data from satellites orbiting the Earth using a satellite dish that will be installed close to your house.

Reliance Jio unveiled JioSpaceFiber, a satellite-based broadband service, at the Indian Mobile Congress. JioSpaceFiber uses communication satellites to deliver high-speed internet access, as opposed to traditional broadband, which uses cables or fiber. Compared to Jio AirFiber and Jio Fibre, JioSpaceFiber is not the same.

Data from satellites orbiting the Earth is sent and received by a satellite dish placed close to your house. This technology makes it possible to access the internet in places like rural areas where traditional cable or fiber connections might not be available. It’s important to keep in mind, though, that because satellite internet requires data to travel to and from space, there may be a slight increase in latency.

In some parts of India, including Gir in Gujarat, Korba in Chattisgarh, Nabrangpur in Odisha, and ONGC in Jorhat, Assam, JioSpaceFiber has already begun to roll out. The service is being provided by the company in collaboration with SES, a company based in Luxembourg. The goal of this new endeavor is to upend India’s current state of internet connectivity.

Internet via Satellite vs. Cable: Latency, Coverage, and Speed

Depending on the kind of wires being used, broadband internet speeds can change. The fastest medium, fiber, has a maximum speed of 1000 Mbps. Although cable internet is typically quicker and more dependable, satellite internet still offers high speeds. The benefit of satellite internet is its widespread availability due to its space-based signal. For those living in remote locations without access to cable or fiber connections, this makes it a feasible choice.
Fiber and cable-based broadband internet solutions are limited to areas with pre-existing infrastructure. Due to the data’s need to travel to and from space, satellite internet may have comparatively higher latency. Real-time online activities like gaming and video conferencing may be impacted by this.

Types of Spacecraft
There are three types of satellites that orbit the planet: GEO (geostationary), MEO (medium earth orbit), and LEO (low earth orbit).

1. Satellites in geostationary Earth orbit (GEO) travel 35,786 kilometers above the planet’s surface. They stay above the same spot on the ground as they travel, matching the Earth’s rotation. Only three GEO satellites are needed to cover the whole planet because of their size and altitude.

2. Satellites in Medium Earth Orbit (MEO) travel 5,000–12,000 kilometers above the surface of the planet. Compared to GEO satellites, their lower altitude allows for reduced latency, but more spacecraft—between eight and twenty—are needed for full coverage.

3. Satellites in Low Earth Orbit (LEO) travel between 850 and 2000 km1. Although low-Earth orbit (LEO) satellites have the least latency among the three orbits, LEO networks need an exponentially larger number of satellites to cover an area, and atmospheric drag shortens the lifetime of satellites.