Photo: Wikimedia.

SES is looking to making an impact in the broadband market in India, and has formed a JV with Jio Space Technology (Jio). SES said the joint venture, announced Feb. 14, will deliver the next generation scalable and affordable broadband services in India leveraging satellite technology.

Jio and SES will own 51% and 49% equity stake in the joint venture, respectively. The joint venture will use SES’s multi-orbit space network with SES-12 in Geostationary Orbit (GEO) and O3b mPOWER in Medium-Earth Orbit (MEO) to deliver multi-gigabit links and capacity to enterprises, mobile backhaul, and retail customers across India and neighboring regions.

As part of investment plan, the joint venture will develop extensive gateway infrastructure in India to provide services within the country. Jio, as an anchor customer of the joint venture, has entered into a multi-year capacity purchase agreement, based on certain milestones along with gateways and equipment purchase, with total contract value of about $100 million.

“While we continue to expand our fiber-based connectivity and [fiber to the home] FTTH business and invest in 5G, this new JV with SES will further accelerate the growth of multigigabit broadband. With additional coverage and capacity offered by satellite communications services, Jio will be able to connect the remotest towns and villages, enterprises, government establishments, and consumers to the new Digital India. We are excited about this new journey combining our massive reach and customer base with SES’s innovative leadership and expertise in the satellite industry,” Akash Ambani, director of Jio, said in a statement.