Reliance Jio's disruption in the market doesn't come as a surprise. Challenging the other players in the telecom industry, Jio introduced its most enticing offer for mobile users last month. Jio Welcome Offer, which comes with free and unlimited data as well as calls till December 31, helped the company add millions of users in a short span of time.
In a statement released on Sunday, RJIL said the carrier has created a new world record by surpassing 16 million users in just 26 days after it rolled out its unlimited plans to all users in September. The new telco also said it has recorded growth faster than any other telecom operator and also other startups such as Facebook and WhatsApp.
"We are delighted and humbled by the overwhelming response across India to the Jio Welcome Offer," Mukesh Ambani, chairman – Reliance Jio Industries Limited, said in a statement. "Jio is built to empower every Indian with the power of data. We are delighted that people have recognized this and are utilizing our services to the fullest. We are customer-obsessed and committed to improve every day to exceed expectations of our customers."
Despite its untiring efforts, Jio has failed to get the incumbent operators on board with its challenging scheme of free calls. The telecom majors such as Vodafone, Airtel and Idea have allegedly refused to share necessary points of interconnect (POIs) to establish a reliable network across India.
Due to the lack of POIs, Jio users are suffering from frequent call drops, mainly when trying to call any number other than Jio itself. Among other share of Jio's problems, rival telcos are also denying users' request for MNP (mobile number portability), which doesn't allow them to use their existing numbers on Jio's network.
Regardless of Jio's shortcomings, users have been compelled to get Jio sim cards. The main reason for that is the unlimited access to internet data on mobile and unlimited voice calls. Initially, Jio was unable to supply sufficient SIM cards, but as days passed by, the carrier managed the issue. Even the activation process, which was a tiring one, is simpler than ever with Aadhaar-based activations across 3,100 towns and cities.
The eKYC activation will be available across all stores in India in the next few days.
