Reliance Jio’s Bundled TV & Broadband Service Costs Revealed

Reliance Jio GigaFiber is expected to launch in phases with more than 1,500 cities to be covered in 2019.

The service was announced in 2018 but we’re yet to see it going mainstream.

(Photo: Jio screen grab)

Now that Jio has crossed the 300 million mark for mobile users, the telco is shifting its focus towards the broadband operation, which is likely to bundle TV service for consumers.

And according to a report in Livemint this week, Jio will be offering these as a bundled service for Rs 600 per month, as mentioned by a person familiar with the product.

The person was also quoted saying that the service will be added in the next three months, and will be offered at free of cost for one year. Reliance has been facing complex challenges to get its Jio GigaFiber business up and running, which has been harder to pull off on the ground.

The TV service is reportedly going to be based on Internet Protocol technology, similar to Airtel’s Digital TV network available to consumers for the past couple of the years.

The telco intends to offer 600 TV channels, landline connection and 100Mbps broadband service for just Rs 600, which will yet again break the shackles of the Internet TV segment, forcing its rivals to cut down prices as well.

Having said that, you still have to spend big on getting the Jio GigaFiber router which will cost Rs 4,500 as the security deposit to get the service working.

These two boxes will power the upcoming services from Jio GigaFiber.(Photo: The Quint)

It’s unlikely to end with just being an internet-cum-tv service, with smart home applications, including storage of CCTV recordings on cloud also expected to be offered at additional cost.

All of these features could roughly cost Rs 1,000 for the consumer, who’ll be expected to spend extra on security cameras and other smart home devices.

Smart home is the next big target for Jio GigaFiber.(Photo: The Quint)

It’s hardly surprising to hear about Jio’s ambitious plans with its broadband service. The company had showcased its objectives with fiber optics at the Indian Mobile Congress last year, where all of these devices, which includes making video calls via TV were also on display.

Industry experts point out that on an average, a consumer isn’t willing to spend more than Rs 700 for wired internet, but Jio’s bundled offering could appeal to most users, looking for a service that delivers on all fronts.