The Internet was a rare luxury in India two decades ago and now the country is one of the biggest consumers of data on a daily basis. This phenomenon has not only pushed Indian businessmen to new boundaries of innovation but is also attracting foreign investors. Reliance Jio brought a 4G revolution in the nation with cheap data plans. Broadband and other high-speed connectivity options still haven’t been able to penetrate at the same level as 4G. But two billionaires have their eyes set on the huge potential of the market.
Mukesh Ambani’s JioFiber is already making inroads in the urban landscape but Elon Musk’s SpaceX is also gearing up with StarLink, a high-speed, low-latency broadband internet that plans to provide connectivity across the globe. Both technologies are almost as different as day and night but they both aim to get you to use their internet connection.
Fiber optic broadband connections are already in use in many cities including Tier 2 and Tier 3 cities. Fiber optics rely on a network of wires that use glass fibers to transmit packets of data at very high speed. JioFiber offers speeds of up to 1GBps in India.
StarLink, on the other hand, uses satellites in a low orbit in order to provide their services to a broad range of territory. Users can expect to see download speeds between 100 Mb/s and 200 Mb/s and latency as low as 20ms. The company provides basic equipment which also includes a small receiver.
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Fiber optics can offer a much reliable data connection at high speeds. The connection can also offer low-latency which translates to better gaming and online tasks. Currently, fiber optics is the only option for users looking for reliable high-speed internet.
While the reliability is good, the connection cannot be accessed as easily as StarLink’s satellite internet. The company needs to set up a physical network in order to reach more remote areas. The expansion of the network may be the biggest challenge for this kind of technology
Satellite internet does not rely on heavy infrastructure. Starlink is ideally suited for areas where connectivity has been unreliable or completely unavailable. SpaceX will be using its expertise in rockets in order to position the satellites. Apart from that, the user will need to install receivers at locations with least interruptions.
This brings us to the biggest issue of satellite internet. The connectivity is prone to be impacted by elements. Cloudy skies or storms could hinder connectivity for areas.
While both technologies are completely different, they aim to expand their users in India and rural areas remain largely untapped. The launch of StarLink was earlier slated for 2022 but the company is yet to receive its licence from the Indian government and the company has even stopped taking pre-orders for the service after it had announced that 5000 bookings were already made.
The post How two of the richest men in the world are fighting over your internet connection appeared first on BGR India.
