Jio

Reliance Jio Infocomm Limited, d/b/a Jio, is an Indian telecommunications company and a subsidiary of Jio Platforms, headquartered in Mumbai, Maharashtra, India. It operates a national LTE network with coverage across all 22 telecom circles. It does not offer 2G or 3G service, and instead uses only voice over LTE to provide voice service on its 4G network.[5][6]

For other uses, see JIO (disambiguation).
Not to be confused with Reliance Communications.

Reliance Jio Infocomm Limited
TypeSubsidiary of Reliance Industries
IndustryTelecommunications
Founded15 February 2007 (15 February 2007)
FounderMukesh Ambani
Headquarters
Maker Chambers IV, 222 Nariman Point, Mumbai, Maharashtra
,
India
Key people
Mukesh Ambani
(Chairman)
Sandip Das
(Managing Director)
Products
Revenue ₹22,858 crore (US$3.2 billion)
(Q3 2020-21) [1]
₹14,363 crore (US$2.0 billion)
(FY 2019-20) [2]
₹5,562 crore (US$780 million)
(FY 2019-20) [3]
Total assets ₹241,705 crore (US$34 billion)
(FY 2019-20) [3]
Total equity ₹170,956 crore (US$24 billion)
(FY 2019-20) [3]
Members41.08 crore (410.8 million) [1]
(Q2 2020-21)
ParentJio Platforms[4]
SubsidiariesLYF
Websitejio.com

Jio soft launched on 27 December 2015 with a beta for partners and employees,[7][8] and became publicly available on 5 September 2016. As of 31 December 2019, it is the largest mobile network operator in India and the third largest mobile network operator in the world with over 41.08 crore (410.8 million) subscribers.[1]

In September 2019, Jio launched a fiber to the home service, offering home broadband, television, and telephone services. Since April 2020, Reliance Industries has raised ₹152,056 crore (US$21 billion) by selling 32.97% equity stake in Jio Platforms.[9]

History

The company was registered in Ambawadi, Ahmedabad, Gujarat on 15 February 2007 as Infotel Broadband Services Limited (IBSL). In June 2010, Reliance Industries (RIL) bought a 95% stake in IBSL for ₹4,800 crore (US$670 million). Although unlisted, IBSL was the only company that won broadband spectrum in all 22 circles in India in the 4G auction that took place earlier that year.[10] Later continuing as RIL's telecom subsidiary, Infotel Broadband Services Limited was renamed as Reliance Jio Infocomm Limited (RJIL) in January 2013.[11]

In June 2015, Jio announced that it would start its operations throughout the country by the end of 2015.[12] However, four months later in October, the company postponed the launch to the first quarter of the financial year 2016–2017.[13]

Later, in July 2015, a PIL filed in the Supreme Court by an NGO called the Centre for Public Interest Litigation, through Prashant Bhushan, challenged the grant of a pan-India licence to Jio by the Government of India. The PIL also alleged that the firm was being allowed to provide voice telephony along with its 4G data service, by paying an additional fee of just ₹165.8 crore (US$23 million) which was arbitrary and unreasonable, and contributed to a loss of ₹2,284.2 crore (US$320 million) to the exchequer.[14][15] The Indian Department of Telecommunications (DoT), however, explained that the rules for 3G and BWA spectrum didn't restrict BWA winners from providing voice telephony. As a result, the PIL was revoked, and the accusations were dismissed.[16]

The 4G services were launched internally on 27 December 2015.[17] The company commercially launched its 4G services on 5 September 2016,[7] offering free data and voice services till 31 December,[18] which was later extended till 31 March 2017.[19][20] Within the first month, Jio announced that it had acquired 1.6 crore (16 million) subscribers.[21] Jio crossed 5 crore (50 million) subscriber mark in 83 days since its launch,[22] subsequently crossing 100 million subscribers on 22 February 2017.[23] By October 2017 it had about 13 crore (130 million) subscribers.[24]

Network

Spectrum frequency holding summary

Jio owns spectrum in 850 MHz and 1,800 MHz bands in India's 22 circles, and also owns pan-India licensed 2,300 MHz spectrum. The spectrum is valid until 2035.[25]

Partnerships

Jio shares spectrum with Reliance Communications. The sharing deal is for 800 MHz band across seven circles other than the 10 circles for which Jio already owns.[26]

In September 2016, Jio signed a pact with BSNL for intra-circle roaming which would enable users of the operators to use each other's 4G and 2G spectrum in national roaming mode.[27]

In February 2017, Jio announced a partnership with Samsung to work on LTE - Advanced Pro and 5G.[28]

Reliance Jio also partnered with several OSS (Operations Support Systems) & BSS (Business Support System) companies for the deployment of services, like: SAP, HP, IBM, Ericsson, Rancore, Estel Technologies, Subex and Intec Telecom Systems. However, the finalized OSS firms were Ericsson, HP and Friendly Technologies.[29][30]

Products and services

Mobile broadband

The company launched its 4G broadband services throughout India in September 2016.[13] It was slated to release in December 2015 after some reports said that the company was waiting to receive final permits from the government.[12] Jio offers fourth-generation (4G) data and voice services, along with peripheral services like instant messaging and streaming movies and music.[31]

JioFiber

In August 2018, Jio began to test a new triple play fiber to the home service known tentatively as Jio GigaFiber, including broadband internet with speeds ranging from 100 to 1000 Mbit/s, as well as television and landline telephone services.[32][33]

In August 2019, it was announced that the service would officially launch on 5 September 2019 as JioFiber, in honour of the company's third anniversary.[34][35][36] Jio also announced plans to offer streaming of films still in theatres ("First Day First Show") to eligible JioFiber subscribers.[37][38]

The company has a network of more than 250,000 km of fiber optic cables in the country, over which it will be partnering with local cable operators to get broader connectivity for its broadband services.[39]

LYF smartphones
Main article: LYF
An image of LYF WATER 2 phone with IPS display.[40]

In June 2015, Jio entered into an agreement with domestic handset maker Intex to supply 4G handsets capable of voice over LTE (VoLTE).[41] However, in October 2015, Jio announced that it would be launching its own mobile handset brand named LYF.[42][43][44]

On 25 January 2016, the company launched its LYF smartphone[45] series starting with Water 1, through its chain of electronic retail outlets, Reliance Retail.[46] Three more handset models have been released so far, namely Water 2,[47] Earth 1,[48] and Flame 1.[49][50]

JioPhone
Illustration of a JioPhone

JioPhone is a line of feature phones marketed by Jio. The first model, released in August 2017 (with public pre-orders beginning 24 August 2017), was positioned as an "affordable" LTE-compatible feature phone. It runs the KaiOS platform (derived from the defunct Firefox OS), and includes a 2.4-inch display, a dual-core processor, 4 GB of internal storage, near-field communication support, a suite of Jio-branded apps (including the voice assistant HelloJio), and a Jio-branded application store. It also supports a "TV cable" accessory for output to an external display.[51][52][53]

In July 2018, the company unveiled the JioPhone 2, an updated model in a keyboard bar form factor with a QWERTY keyboard and horizontal display. Jio also announced that Facebook, WhatsApp, and YouTube apps would become available for the two phones.[54]

Jionet Wi-Fi

Prior to its pan-India launch of 4G data and telephony services, the firm has started providing free Wi-Fi hotspot services in cities throughout India including Surat, Ahmedabad in Gujarat, and Visakhapatnam in Andhra Pradesh,[55] Indore, Jabalpur, Dewas and Ujjain[56] in Madhya Pradesh, select locations of Mumbai in Maharashtra,[57] Kolkata in West Bengal,[58] Lucknow in Uttar Pradesh,[59] Bhubaneswar in Odisha,[60] Mussoorie in Uttarakhand,[61] Collectorate's Office in Meerut,[62] and at MG Road in Vijayawada[63] among others.

In March 2016, Jio started providing free Wi-Fi internet to spectators at six cricket stadiums hosting the 2016 ICC World Twenty20 matches. .[64]

Jio apps
Jio sim card pouch as distributed by Reliance Jio Infocomm

In May 2016, Jio launched a bundle of multimedia apps on Google Play as part of its upcoming 4G services. While the apps are available to download for everyone, a user will require a Jio SIM card to use them. Additionally, most of the apps are in the beta phase.[65] Notable apps include:

  • JioPages - a web browser for Android devices [66] [67]
  • JioChat - instant messaging app[68]
  • JioCinema - online HD video library[69]
  • JioCloud - cloud-based backup tool[70]
  • JioHealth - health services app
  • JioNews - e-reader for news[71]
  • JioMeet - video-conferencing platform[72]
  • JioMoney - online payments/wallet app[73]
  • JioSaavn - for online and offline music streaming in English and Indian languages
  • JioSecurity - security app[74]
  • JioTV - TV Channels streaming service
  • JioVoice - VoLTE phone simulator[75]
  • MyJio - manage Jio account and digital services associated with it[76][77]

Jio digital and television service

Jio TV

Jio TV is an app based service enabling Jio customers to view TV channels & programmes on their preferred digital devices.[78]

Jio TV+

Jio TV+ is a service which provides customers access to various VoD and OTT services from all over world in one app.[79][80]

Controversies

Issue with incumbents

In September 2016, the Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI) summoned Jio and the country's existing telecom operators like Airtel, Vodafone, and Idea Cellular to meet and discuss an issue regarding interconnection between the operators. This was a result after Jio complained to TRAI and Department of Telecom (DoT) about other operators not honoring their commercial agreements to let Jio use their network resources. The company further added that the operators are trying to sabotage its entry into the telecom scene. However, DoT dismissed the request and directed TRAI to help settle the dispute amicably. Moreover, the Cellular Operators Association of India (COAI) requested TRAI to include all the operators in the discussion instead of the three.[81]

The incumbent operators had previously approached the country's PMO to reiterate their stance they "are in no way obliged or in any position to entertain Jio's requests for interconnection points as they do not have either the network or the financial resources to terminate the latter's humongous volumes of potentially asymmetric voice traffic." Responding to this, Mukesh Ambani, owner of Jio, said, "All operators have publicly said last week that they will provide this (interconnect and MNP). So, we are waiting. These are all great companies. They have their own reputations to protect. I am confident they won't violate the law." Commenting about number portability, he added, "The number belongs to the consumer. No operator can cause trouble if they want to change operators."[82] However, on 12 September 2016, Idea Cellular agreed to allow Jio to use 196 of its interconnection access points.[83]

Alleged subscriber data breach

On 10 July 2017, Reliance Jio's customer data was allegedly leaked on the website magicapk.com.[84] The website was suspended shortly after the news of the breach broke out.[85]

See also

References
  1. "RIL Q3 2020-21 Reports". Reliance industries. 22 January 2021.
  2. "Annual Report for the year 2019-20".
  3. "RJio 2019-20 Reports". Reliance industries. 30 April 2020.
  4. "RIL's new digital unit christened Jio Platforms Ltd".
  5. Reliance Jio Infocomm Limited, Cellular Operators Association of India
  6. Reliance Jio Infocomm plans to launch pan-India LTE, RCR Wireless News
  7. "Jio opens Mobile Number Portability, urges incumbent telcos to fulfil regulatory obligations". India Today. 3 September 2016. Retrieved 3 September 2016.
  8. "Reliance Jio Infocomm launches 4G services for its employees", The Economic Times, 27 December 2015, retrieved 29 December 2015
  9. "Google to invest Rs 33,737 crore for a 7.7 per cent stake in Jio Platforms". The Economic Times. Retrieved 15 July 2020.
  10. "Reliance Industries buys 95% stake in Infotel Broadband for Rs 4,800 cr". The Economic Times (India). Retrieved 27 February 2019.
  11. RIL's Infotel Broadband renamed Reliance Jio Infocomm, The Times of India Business Line
  12. "Reliance Jio to launch commercial operations by December; to alter telecom industry landscape, say experts", The Economic Times
  13. Reliance Jio likely to delay its December pan-India launch, Live Mint
  14. "Petition against 4G licence to Reliance Jio: Apex court seeks Centre's reply". The Hindu. Retrieved 10 June 2014.
  15. "Reliance Jio goes for the kill". Rediff.com. 17 January 2014. Retrieved 10 June 2014.
  16. "DoT refutes CAG's charges of favoring Reliance Jio by allowing it to convert its ISP permit into a unified license". The Economic Times. Retrieved 4 July 2014.
  17. "Now Reliance employees can refer friends, family for Jio 4G services". Zee Business. 5 May 2016. Retrieved 24 July 2020.
  18. Bhushan, Kul (1 September 2016). "Reliance Jio Welcome Offer launched, offers free access to its Jio services till December 31, 2016". BGR India. Retrieved 24 July 2020.
  19. Mudgill, Amit. "Jio welcome offer extended: Mukesh Ambani extends Reliance Jio freebies, RIL shares up 1.28 per cent to Rs 1005.50". The Economic Times. Retrieved 24 July 2020.
  20. "How Reliance Jio's Entry Tied Regulatory Knots Around India's Telecom Ecosystem". thewire.in. Retrieved 24 July 2020.
  21. "Reliance Jio creates world record: 16 million subscribers in one month". The Indian Express. 9 October 2016. Retrieved 9 October 2016.
  22. "Reliance Jio crosses 50 million subscriber mark in 83 days". 29 November 2016.
  23. Doval, Pankaj (22 February 2017). "Reliance Jio crosses 100 million users within 6 months - Times of India". The Times of India. Bennett, Coleman & Co. Ltd. Retrieved 22 February 2017.
  24. "Dirt-cheap mobile data is a thrill for Indian consumers". The Economist. 5 October 2017.
  25. Pan India Telecom Spectrum holding chart 2020 (updated), Only Tech, retrieved 30 October 2019
  26. Reliance Jio to share RCom spectrum in seven circles, The Hindu Business Line
  27. "Reliance Jio Signs Deal With BSNL to Address One of Its Potential Pain Points".
  28. "Reliance Jio ties up with Samsung to 'bring' 5G in India | Gadgets Now". Gadget Now. Retrieved 9 May 2017.
  29. "Reliance Jio teams up with 20 tech firms for OSS/BSS | TeleAnalysis". TeleAnalysis. Retrieved 26 January 2021.
  30. "Ericsson successfully deploys OSS fulfillment suite for Jio in India | Ericsson". Ericsson. Retrieved 26 January 2021.
  31. "Reliance to launch Jio by Dec, set to kick off pricing war", Business Standard
  32. "Reliance Jio Fiber broadband plans announced: Check tariffs, speed, offers". LiveMint. Retrieved 12 September 2019.
  33. Agarwal, Nikhil (21 August 2018). "Reliance Jio GigaFiber broadband preview offer launched. It is free for 3 months". LiveMint. Retrieved 12 September 2019.
  34. "JioFiber now available: Here's how you can book new connection, get free TV and 4K Set Top Box". India Today. Retrieved 12 September 2019.
  35. "Reliance JioGigaFiber unveils on September 5: A comparison with BSNL, ACT, Airtel Fiber broadband plans". The Indian Express. 21 August 2019. Retrieved 21 August 2019.
  36. DelhiAugust 12, Amritanshu Mukherjee New; August 14, 2019UPDATED; Ist, 2019 09:02. "Jio has changed name of GigaFiber broadband to JioFiber but why". India Today. Retrieved 8 June 2020.CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link)
  37. "Mukesh Ambani unveils Jio Fiber & the mother of all set top boxes". The Economic Times. 14 August 2019. Retrieved 21 August 2019.
  38. Jio Set Top Box Demo | Zero Latency 4K Online Gaming, retrieved 21 August 2019
  39. Reliance Jio looking to partner local cable firms in broadband push, Livemint
  40. "WATER 2 Smartphone", MyLYF.com, 11 May 2016, archived from the original on 10 April 2016, retrieved 11 May 2016
  41. "Intex ties up with Reliance Jio to supply 4G handsets", The Indian Express
  42. "Reliance Retail to sell 4G smartphones under 'LYF' Brand", The Economic Times
  43. Reliance Jio Unveiled A 4G Device Under Lyf Brand, Gizmodo - India, 10 January 2016, archived from the original on 13 February 2016, retrieved 10 February 2016
  44. "Reliance Jio unveils low-cost 4G mobile phones LYF", The Financial Express, 8 January 2017, retrieved 10 February 2016
  45. LYF smartphone
  46. RELIANCE JIO LYF WATER 1 LAUNCHED IN INDIA FOR RS. 14,999, Maktech, 7 February 2016, archived from the original on 5 March 2016, retrieved 9 February 2016
  47. Reliance's LYF Water 2 Goes Official in India: specifications, features, price and availability, GSM Insider, 9 February 2016, archived from the original on 16 February 2016, retrieved 10 February 2016
  48. Lyf Earth 1 Price, Specifications, Features, Digit, 1 February 2016, retrieved 10 February 2016
  49. Singh, Saurabh (27 January 2016), "Reliance Jio's Lyf Earth 1, Water 1 & Water 2 phones listed online, prices start at Rs.14,690", India Today, retrieved 10 February 2016
  50. Reliance Lyf Flame 1 vs Xiaomi Redmi 2 vs Coolpad Note 3 Lite, TechRadar - India, 10 February 2016, retrieved 10 February 2016
  51. "JioPhone announced: A quick look at price, features, plans and availability". TechRadar. Retrieved 21 July 2017.
  52. "jio phone launch: Reliance Jio 4G feature phone: Here's all you want to know about it". The Economic Times. Retrieved 21 July 2017.
  53. "Jio Phone Plans Start at Rs. 153 Per Month, Jio Phone TV-Cable Announced". NDTV Gadgets 360. Retrieved 11 September 2019.
  54. "JioPhone 2 announced, comes with these features". The Economic Times. 16 August 2018. Retrieved 11 September 2019.
  55. Reliance Jio offers strategic Wi-Fi hotspot free services to increase user base, Mobiletor
  56. Beguwala, Esmail (19 December 2015). "Reliance Jio launches high-speed Wi-Fi service 'Jionet' in 55 locations across Indore". Telecom Talk. Retrieved 29 December 2017.
  57. "Reliance Jio launches unlimited free WiFi in Mumbai for Ganesh Utsav", The Indian Express
  58. Reliance Jio Introduces Free Public Wifi in Kolkata, How to Use Jionet Wifi ?, Telecom Talk
  59. Reliance Jio launches free Wi-Fi service in Lucknow's Hazratganj, The Economic Times - Telecom
  60. Reliance Jio Launches 4G Wi-Fi Internet Service in Bhubaneswar, Gadgets 360
  61. Mussoorie, the First Hill Station to receive Reliance Jio's Wi-Fi Service, Reliance News, archived from the original on 24 November 2015
  62. "Reliance Jio to offer free 4G-backed WiFi service at Meerut Collectorate", The Economic Times
  63. "Reliance Jio rolls out wi-fi service at MG Road in Vijayawada", The Times of India, 11 January 2016, retrieved 12 January 2016
  64. "T20 World Cup 2016: Free unlimited Wi-Fi at 6 stadiums, courtesy Reliance Jio".
  65. Chedalla, Teja (5 May 2016). "8 Reliance Jio Specific Apps go Live on Google Play Store, iOS coming soon". PhoneRadar. Retrieved 20 May 2016.
  66. "Jio launches made-in-India JioPages browser: Features, other details here". Live Mint. 21 October 2020.
  67. "Jio Browser Rebranded as JioPages with improved design and more features". TechPP. 21 October 2020.
  68. Abbas, Muntazir (16 October 2015). "Jio Chat crosses 2 million users in less than six months". The Economic Times. Retrieved 20 May 2016.
  69. "Reliance to launch Jio On Demand with over 450 TV channels". Indian Television. 19 February 2016. Retrieved 20 May 2016.
  70. "Exclusive First look at Jio Drive : India's answer to Google drive and One drive, to offer 100 GB storage". Telecom Talk. 5 December 2014. Retrieved 20 May 2016.
  71. "Exclusive First look at Reliance Jio Mags: Jio's answer to Google's Play Newsstand". Telecom Talk. 8 December 2014. Retrieved 20 May 2016.
  72. Cruze, Danny Cyril D. (1 May 2020). "Jio to launch video conferencing platform JioMeet to take on Google Meet, Zoom". Livemint. Retrieved 19 June 2020.
  73. Bendre, Ritesh (12 May 2016), "Reliance JioMoney Wallet app first impressions: Good potential, needs design overhaul", Boy Genius Report, retrieved 20 May 2016
  74. "Reliance Jio Offers 4G Connections Through Referral Scheme". cxotoday.com. 6 May 2016. Archived from the original on 11 July 2016. Retrieved 23 May 2015.
  75. "Jio Join app: First look and comprehensive feature review". Telecom Talk. 16 March 2016. Retrieved 20 May 2016.
  76. Bhupta, Malini (10 May 2016). "Reliance Jio test drive: service open to select customers through invite only". Business Standard India. Retrieved 25 May 2016.
  77. "MyJio App Crosses 100 Million Downloads". News18. 11 August 2017. Retrieved 11 August 2017.
  78. "Jio tv". www.jio.com. Retrieved 16 October 2020.
  79. "What is Jio TV+?". The Indian Express. 16 July 2020. Retrieved 19 July 2020.
  80. "What is Jio TV+?". The Indian Express. 16 July 2020. Retrieved 16 October 2020.
  81. "Truce in sight? Trai summons Airtel, Vodafone and Idea to settle fight with Reliance Jio - The Economic Times".
  82. "You can't hold off Reliance Jio for long, Mukesh Ambani tells rivals - The Economic Times".
  83. Jain, Upasana (12 September 2016). "Idea agrees to give Reliance Jio interconnection points".
  84. "Reliance Jio data breached: Why it matters, what it means for you, and everything to know". The Indian Express. 10 July 2017. Retrieved 10 July 2017.
  85. "Reliance Jio probing claims of alleged data breach of millions of subscribers". Hindustan Times. 10 July 2017. Retrieved 10 July 2017.
This article is issued from Wikipedia. The text is licensed under Creative Commons - Attribution - Sharealike. Additional terms may apply for the media files.