Reliance Jio is foraying into the broadband space with the launch of JioFiber, the FTTH high-speed home broadband service, in India on September 5, the company's chairman Mukesh Ambani revealed during RIL's Annual General Meeting last month. With only one day to go for the big launch, a lot of questions about its connections, plans, offers and more are yet to be answered. But here's what we know to help you get started with JioFiber.
Reliance JioFiber, like Airtel's V-Fiber and ACT Fibernet, will offer high-speed internet to homes and small businesses. There will be a wide range of plans and packages to suit the individual needs of customers. JioFiber plans will vary depending on the speed of the internet, which ranges from 100Mbps to 1Gbps, so will the prices.
Let's take you through JioFiber essentials ahead of Sept. 5 launch.
Plans and pricing
Reliance Jio is yet to reveal the plans and prices of its JioFiber broadband, but the service is expected to cost Rs 700 a month for its basic connection offering 100Mbps speed and Rs 10,000 for the most premium package that gives 1Gbps speeds. There is no word on how much data will be offered to customers under each plan.
Welcome offer
Reliance Jio has spoiled Indians with its free 4G service for several months before it was officially launched. But JioFiber is a different case and there won't be several months of free service. However, Jio will keep up its reputation and likely offer its FTTH broadband service free for the first two months with a refundable deposit of Rs 2,500.
As a part of its Welcome Offer, Reliance Jio is also expected to give away free HD or 4K TV depending on the package customers choose. If we have to guess, the HD TV will be given to those who opt for the basic packages and the 4K TV will be reserved for the top-tier 1Gbps plan. There's no guarantee on every customer being eligible for this free giveaway as it could be random or on a first-come, first-serve basis.
Free 4K set-top-box, landline
Reliance JioFiber is only the foundation for other services the company is planning to launch. It appears, JioFiber customers will get a free Jio 4K set-top-box, which supports gaming, video conferencing, integrated graphics card, VR content and more.
In addition, customers will also get a fixed landline connection with attractive plans focused on international calling, which Jio guarantees to be the lowest fixed-line rates in the industry.
Entertainment services
Reliance Jio already offers a suite of Jio apps, which include entertainment apps like JioMusic and TV. With JioFiber, the company plans to offer free bundled subscriptions to popular OTT services. Although there's no word on which streaming services will be offered for free via JioFiber, we can expect anything from the existing bunch of Netflix, Amazon Prime Video, Hotstar and others.
But don't settle for that. The company also revealed that its Premium subscribers will enjoy extra benefits, including its recently-launched First-Day-First-Show movies from the comfort of home. The service is not ready yet and could launch by mid-2020, but expect some details on the same on Thursday.
Registrations
Reliance JioFiber registrations have been open for a while now, ever since the company started testing its service in select cities. The company has already received over 15 million registrations from 1,600 towns across India. If you haven't registered yet, head over to the official JioFiber website and register with your address. Depending on the demand from a particular area, Reliance Jio will roll out its service accordingly.
