After all the wait, it’s expected that Reliance will finally start sharing launch and availability details for Jio GigaFiber in the country very soon. The company does its annual general meeting (AGM) around July (which is next month) every year.
And there’s no doubt that after hyping up its mobile service, then mobile device, it’s time to eye the fixed line internet space for the telecom player.
Jio GigaFiber has been made available in select regions for now, but if Jio intends to meet the target of reaching 1100 cities, set by Chairman Mukesh Ambani, this is probably the right time to show it’s worth the hype. For now, here’s a quick round up of everything we know about what Jio GigaFiber will offer to the consumers.
How to Register
The company has set up its registration page on Jio.com where you can show your interest for Jio’s broadband service.
This will be an interest registration - meaning that the cities that receive the most number of registrations will be prioritised. Registrations for the fiber broadband service started from 15 August in 2018 and interested users can register for the service on Reliance Jio website by clicking on the banner given there.
Back then Jio had said that the areas with the highest number of registrations will be given preference. In the first phase, the company plans to roll out the service in 1,100 cities.
How Much Will it Cost?
According to a report from Livemint earlier this year, Jio will be offering these as a bundled service for Rs 600 per month. The same report also said that the service will be added in the next three months, and will be offered at free of cost for one year.
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.
But if you don’t want high-speed internet (1Gbps transfer/download speeds), then Jio is reportedly also offering another plan with minimum security deposit of Rs 2,500 which will provide you with 50Mbps internet speed.
This ensures people across all segment can be catered to, depending on how much they are willing to pay and what internet speeds they crave.
Industry experts have pointed 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.
What Will You Get With Jio GigaFiber?
The internet at every registered household will be powered by the router (see image below). This device supports multiple LAN ports, including one port for the phone cable and can connect up to 20 devices with Wi-Fi internet simultaneously.
In addition to broadband internet, Jio is likely to bundle TV service for consumers at the aforementioned cost.
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. 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 but at an additional cost.
Now that we know most of the details about Jio GigaFiber, we wait for Jio to unleash the service across the country, and talking more about it in the coming weeks.
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