Reliance Jio unveils plan for 1,600‑satellite LEO network to reach remote Indian villages

Reliance Jio unveiled a plan for a 1,600‑satellite Low Earth Orbit network at the India Mobile Congress on Thursday, Oct 8, 2026 in New Delhi. The proposal pairs the satellites with 23 ground stations to link remote villages, islands and border outposts where towers or fibre are hard to install. Jio billed the effort as its “Sovereign Satellite Connectivity” vision and said the system would cover land and sea, reaching more than 600,000 villages and aiming for 100 % coverage of maritime and terrestrial areas. The satellite layer will be integrated with Jio’s existing terrestrial network, creating a hybrid that adds direct‑to‑device calling in rural zones without replacing current services. The company highlighted uses in enterprise connectivity, aviation, maritime, government, defence and disaster response. All stages of the value chain – design, engineering, testing, launch, deployment and operations – are slated to be handled within India. India’s space regulator IN‑SPACe reviewed the plan in July 2026, calling it technically viable and on par with global satellite systems. Jio has asked the government to allow filings with the International Telecommunication Union and to coordinate its orbits with other providers. A phased rollout is outlined: a test flight in Sep 2027, 400‑450 satellites by 2030 and the full 1,600‑satellite constellation by 2035, though no launch dates were given at the event. Prime Minister Narendra Modi opened the 10th India Mobile Congress with the theme “Scale Without Boundaries”, a slogan Jio said its vision mirrors. ## Context LEO satellites orbit closer to Earth than traditional GEO satellites, giving lower latency and allowing smaller ground equipment. Countries are building domestic constellations to lessen reliance on foreign satellite providers.