Context
- Jio Platforms Ltd., a subsidiary of Reliance Industries, is preparing to enter India’s satellite communication (SatCom) sector.
- The company has announced agreements with SpaceX’s Starlink and SES to provide satellite broadband services in India, subject to regulatory approvals.
- Jio is also partnering with Luxembourg-based SES to use its O3b mPOWER medium Earth orbit (MEO) satellite constellation.
Why is Jio Entering Satellite Communications?
- Satellite communication is expected to complement terrestrial telecom networks by providing internet connectivity in remote, rural, mountainous, island, and disaster-prone areas where laying fibre-optic cables or mobile towers is difficult.
- It is also essential for sectors such as defence, maritime, aviation, disaster management, and digital inclusion.
What is Satellite Communication (SatCom)?
- Satellite communication is a technology that transmits voice, data, and multimedia signals between ground stations through artificial satellites orbiting the Earth. It enables communication over large geographical areas without relying entirely on terrestrial infrastructure.
Major Advantages
- Connectivity in inaccessible and remote regions.
- Supports disaster recovery when terrestrial networks fail.
- Enables broadband services in maritime and aviation sectors.
- Bridges the digital divide through universal internet access.
O3b mPOWER Satellite Constellation
- O3b stands for “Other 3 Billion,” referring to people without reliable internet access.
- It is a Medium Earth Orbit (MEO) satellite constellation developed by SES.
- Operates at an altitude of around 8,000 km, offering lower latency than geostationary satellites while covering larger areas than low Earth orbit satellites.
- Designed to deliver high-speed, low-latency broadband connectivity.
Types of Satellite Orbits
| Orbit | Approximate Altitude | Key Features | Examples |
| LEO (Low Earth Orbit) | 160–2,000 km | Low latency, high speed, requires many satellites | Starlink, OneWeb |
| MEO (Medium Earth Orbit) | 2,000–35,786 km | Moderate latency and wider coverage | O3b mPOWER |
| GEO (Geostationary Orbit) | 35,786 km | Appears stationary, ideal for broadcasting and weather monitoring | INSAT, GSAT |
Key Satellite Internet Projects
SpaceX Starlink
- Satellite internet service operated by SpaceX.
- Uses a Low Earth Orbit (LEO) satellite constellation.
- Aims to provide global high-speed broadband connectivity.
Project Kuiper
- A satellite-based broadband initiative by Amazon to provide high-speed internet globally via Low Earth Orbit (LEO) satellites.
- It aims to deploy over 3,200 satellites operating at altitudes between 590 km and 630 km.
Related Government Initiatives
- Digital India Programme – Expanding digital infrastructure and internet access.
- BharatNet – Broadband connectivity to Gram Panchayats through optical fibre.
- Indian Space Policy, 2023 – Encourages greater private sector participation in the space sector.
- IN-SPACe (Indian National Space Promotion and Authorization Centre) – Facilitates and regulates private sector activities in India’s space ecosystem.
NVIDIA GPUs and AI Infrastructure
- As part of its AI expansion strategy, Jio Platforms announced that it will operationalise an initial fleet of NVIDIA GB300 GPUs (Graphics Processing Units) to build large-scale AI computing infrastructure in India.
- The GB300-based computing capacity is equivalent to over 75,000 NVIDIA H100 GPUs for AI inference.
- Once the first 120 MW AI data centre becomes fully operational, the capacity can be scaled to more than 2 lakh H100-equivalent GPUs.
- This would make Reliance one of the largest AI infrastructure platforms globally.
What are GPUs?
- A Graphics Processing Unit (GPU) is a specialised processor designed to perform massive parallel computations. While originally developed for graphics rendering, GPUs are now the backbone of Artificial Intelligence (AI), Machine Learning (ML), High-Performance Computing (HPC), scientific simulations, and data analytics.
- Compared to CPUs, GPUs can process thousands of operations simultaneously, making them ideal for training and deploying large AI models.
Q. With reference to satellite communication and Artificial Intelligence infrastructure, consider the following statements:
1. O3b mPOWER is a Medium Earth Orbit (MEO) satellite constellation developed by SES.
2. Starlink and Project Kuiper provide broadband services through Low Earth Orbit (LEO) satellites.
3. Graphics Processing Units (GPUs) are specifically designed for parallel processing and are widely used in Artificial Intelligence applications.
Which of the statements given above is/are correct?
(a) 1 and 2 only
(b) 2 and 3 only
(c) 1 and 3 only
(d) 1, 2 and 3
Answer: D
Detailed Explanation:
• Statement 1 is correct: O3b mPOWER is a high-throughput Medium Earth Orbit (MEO) satellite constellation owned and operated by SES. It is the successor to the original O3b ("Other 3 Billion") system, providing low-latency, high-bandwidth data connectivity globally.
• Statement 2 is correct: Both Starlink (developed by SpaceX) and Project Kuiper (developed by Amazon) are designed to deliver global, high-speed, low-latency broadband internet using thousands of small satellites deployed in Low Earth Orbit (LEO).
• Statement 3 is correct: Unlike Central Processing Units (CPUs) which excel at sequential processing, Graphics Processing Units (GPUs) are engineered with thousands of smaller cores designed for parallel processing. This architectural design makes them highly efficient at handling the vast, simultaneous mathematical calculations required for training and running Deep Learning and Artificial Intelligence models.