Reliance Jio GigaFiber rollout has been greatly anticipated in India. While the high-speed FTTH broadband with up to 1Gbps speeds is being rolled out in batches to test the stability before a commercial rollout, a new report is suggesting the launch of Jio GigaFiber services is happening soon.
Reliance Jio hasn't given an exact launch date of its FTTH broadband in India, but the company hasn't failed to address the development of Jio GigaFiber during RIL Annual General Meeting (AGM). If the latest report by The Hindu pans out, the upcoming AGM to be hosted on August 12 will finally confirm the commercial launch of Jio GigaFiber in India.
Reliance Jio GigaFiber online registrations have been live for a while now, but it's only to assess the demand for the service. According to Reliance Jio, the cities with most registrations will be prioritised during the commercial rollout of services. When launched, Jio GigaFiber will be the largest Greenfield fixed-line broadband rollout with a real-time introduction in 1,100 cities across India.
Reliance Jio GigaFiber rollout is going to be one of the most interesting launches of 2019. The FTTH broadband offering up to 1Gbps speeds only scratches the surface in terms of what the company plans to launch. The idea is to build a complete smart home ecosystem - a glimpse of which we got during our visit to the RIL HQ last year.
Reliance Jio GigaFiber broadband will be a part of three services, which include TV and landline as well. The Mukesh Ambani-led firm is planning to offer high-speed broadband, 600 TV channels and a landline connection - all for a monthly subscription of Rs 600. This would not only disrupt the broadband sector but also hit the cable TV and OTT services in a big way.
The Jio GigaFiber triple combo is going to be a hard one to miss. The company has already got the GigaFiber project off the ground by rolling out preview plans of its high-speed internet with 100Mbps free broadband to select users. There's a refundable Rs 2,500 deposit for the ONT device even for its preview customers.
The Jio GigaTV set-top-box will offer internet-based digital content, access to Jio apps, support video calling from television and also let users play games. The remote controller for the set-top-box bears an uncanny resemblance to the smart TV stick remotes, complete with voice search, like the one that comes with Amazon Fire Stick.
The low-cost tariffs of Jio's upcoming services will be a game-changer, just like the Jio 4G rollout. Incumbents must buckle up to avoid another post-Jio 4G impact.
