Jio

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Jio

Jio logo

Jio's headquarters in RCP, Navi Mumbai

Formerly called

Infotel Broadband Services Limited

(2009 - 2013)
Reliance Jio Infocomm Limited (2013 2015)

Type

Subsidiary

Industry

Telecommunications

Founded

2007

Headquarters

Navi Mumbai, Maharashtra, India

Key people

Sanjay Mashruwalla (Managing Director)

Jyotindra Thacker (Head of IT)
Akash Ambani (Chief of Strategy) [1]

Products
Mobile telephony, broadband, and 4G
Data services
MyJio, JioChat, JioPlay, JioBeats, JioMoney,
JioDrive, JioOnDemand, JioSecurity, JioJoin,
JioMags, JioXpressNews, Jionet WiFi
Owner

Mukesh Ambani

Parent

Reliance Industries

Subsidiaries

LYF

Slogan

Digital Life

Website

www.jio.com

Jio is a Mumbai-based provider of 4G internet, mobile telephony, broadband services, and digital
services in India. Formerly known as Infotel Broadband Services Limited, Jio provides 4G
services on a pan-India level using LTE technology.[2][3] The telecom leg of Reliance Industries
Limited, it was incorporated in 2007.
The services were beta-launched to Jio's partners and employees on 27 December, 2015 on the
eve of 83rd birth anniversary of late Dhirubhai Ambani, founder of Reliance Industries.[4][5] On
September 5, 2016, Jio commercially launched its 4G services.
Contents
[hide]

1History

2Development

2.1Beta Launch

2.2Commercial launch

3Operations
o

3.1Partnerships

3.2Issue with incumbents

4Products and Services

o

4.1Reliance Jio 4G Broadband

4.1.1Pan-India Spectrum

4.2LYF Smartphones

4.3Jionet WiFi

4.4Jio apps

5Branding and Marketing

6See also

7References

8External links

9Further reading

History
In June 2010, Reliance Industries (RIL) bought a 96% stake in Infotel Broadband Services
Limited (IBSL) for Rs 4,800cr. Although unlisted, IBSL was the only firm to win broadband
spectrum in all 22 zones in India in the 4G auction that took place earlier that year.[6] Later
continuing as RIL's telecom subsidiary, Infotel Broadband Services Limited was renamed as
Reliance Jio Infocomm Limited (RJIL) in January 2013. [7]

Development
In June 2015, Jio announced that it will start its operations all over the country by the end of
2015.[8] However, four months later in October 2015, the company's spokesmen sent out a press
release stating that the launch was postponed to the first quarter of the financial year 2016-2017.
[9]

Later in July, a PIL filed in the Supreme Court by an NGO called the Centre for Public Interest
Litigation, through Prashant Bhushan, challenged the grant of pan-India licence to Jio by the
Government of India. The PIL also alleged that Jio was allowed to provide voice telephony along
with its 4G data service, by paying an additional fees of just 165.8 crore (US$25 million) which
was arbitrary and unreasonable, and contributed to a loss of 2,284.2 crore (US$340 million) to
the exchequer.[10][11]
The Indian Department of Telecom (DoT), however, refuted all of CAG's claims. In its statement,
DoT 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.
[12]

Beta Launch
The 4G services were launched internally to Jio's partners, its staff and their families on 27
December 2015. Bollywood actor Shah Rukh Khan, who is also the brand ambassador of Jio,
kickstarted the launch event which took place in Reliance Corporate Park in Navi Mumbai, along
with celebrities like musician A R Rahman, actors Ranbir Kapoor and Javed Jaffrey, and
filmmaker Rajkumar Hirani.[13] The closed event was witnessed by more than
35000 RIL employees some of whom were virtually connected from around 1000 locations
including Dallas in the US.[14][15][16]

Commercial launch
The company launched unlimited voice & unlimited broadband data services on 5 September
2016,[4] and the commercial launch will be on January 2017. Plan specifications for the
commercial Launch[17]

Voice will still be free

"Unlimited at Night" refers to data used between 2AM 5AM.

Wi-Fi data / JioNet Hotspot benefits refers to Public Wi-Fi

hotspots of RJIL

Operations
Partnerships
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 3G spectrum in roaming mode.[18]

Issue with incumbents

In September, 2016, the Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI) summoned Jio and the
country's existing telecom operators like Bharti 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.[19]
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."[20] However, on 12 September 2016, Idea Cellular agreed to
allow Jio to use 196 of its interconnection points.[21]

Products and Services

Reliance Jio 4G Broadband

The official slogan of Jio

The company will launch its 4G broadband services throughout India in the first quarter of 20162017 financial year.[9] It was slated to release in December 2015 after some reports said that the
company was waiting to receive final permits from the government.[22] Mukesh Ambani, owner of
Reliance Industries Limited (RIL) whose Reliance Jio is the telecom subsidiary, had unveiled
details of Jio's fourth-generation (4G) services on 12 June 2015 at RIL's 41st annual general
meeting. It will offer data and voice services with peripheral services like instant messaging, live
TV, movies on demand, news, streaming music, and a digital payments platform. [23]
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.[24] With its multi-service operator (MSO) licence, Jio will also serve as a TV channel
distributor and will offer television-on-demand on its network.
Pan-India Spectrum
Jio owns spectrum in 800 MHz and 1,800 MHz bands in 10 and 6 circles, respectively, of the
total 22 circles in the country, and also owns pan-India licensed 2,300 MHz spectrum. The
spectrum is valid till 2035.[25] Ahead of its digital services launch, Mukesh Ambani-led Reliance Jio
entered into a spectrum sharing deal with younger brother Anil Ambani-backed Reliance
Communications. The sharing deal is for 800 MHz band across seven circles other than the 10
circles for which Jio already owns.[26]

LYF Smartphones
Main article: LYF
In June 2015, Jio tied up with domestic handset maker Intex to supply 4G handsets enabled with
voice over LTE (VoLTE) feature. Through this, it plans to offer 4G voice calling besides rolling out
high-speed Internet services using a fiber network,[27] in addition to the 4G wireless network.
[28]
However, in October 2015, Jio announced that it would be launching its own mobile handset
brand named LYF.[29][30][31]
On 25 January 2016, the company launched its LYF smartphone series starting with Water 1,
through its chain of electronic retail outlets, Reliance Retail.[32] Three more handset models have
been released so far, namely Water 2,[33] Earth 1,[34] and Flame 1.[35][36]

Jionet WiFi
Prior to its pan-India launch of 4G data and telephony services, Jio has started providing free WiFi hotspot services in cities throughout India including Surat, Ahmedabad in Gujarat,
and Visakhapatnam in Andhra Pradesh,[37] Indore, Jabalpur, Dewas and Ujjain[38] in Madhya
Pradesh, select locations of Mumbai in Maharashtra,[39] Kolkata in West Bengal,
[40]
Lucknow in Uttar Pradesh,[41] Bhubaneswar in Odisha,[42] Mussoorie in Uttarakhand,
[43]
Collectorate's Office in Meerut,[44] and at MG Road in Vijayawada[45] 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. Jionet was made available in Wankhede
Stadium (Mumbai), Punjab Cricket Association IS Bindra Stadium (Mohali), Himachal Pradesh
Cricket Association Stadium (Dharamshala), Chinnaswamy Stadium(Bengaluru), Feroz Shah
Kotla (Delhi), and Eden Gardens (Kolkata) in India.[46]

Jio apps
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 beta phase.[47][48] Following is a list of the
apps:[49]

MyJio - Manage Jio Account and Digital Services associated

with it [50]

JioTV - A live TV channel service[51]

JioCinema - An online HD video library[52]

JioChat Messenger - An instant messaging app[53]

JioMusic - A music player[54]

JioJoin - A VoLTE phone simulator[55]

JioMags - E-reader for magazines[56]

JioXpressNews - A news and magazine aggregator

JioSecurity - Security app[57]

JioDrive - Cloud-based backup tool[58]

JioMoney Wallet - An online payments/wallet app[59]

Branding and Marketing

On December 24, 2015, Bollywood actor Shah Rukh Khan was appointed as Jio's brand
ambassador.[60][61][62]

See also

Reliance Industries Limited

Reliance Digital

Reliance Retail

Telecommunications statistics in India

LYF

References
1.

Jump up^ Mukesh Ambani's son Akash Ambani joins Reliance

Industries; begins at telecom arm Reliance Jio, The Economic
Times

2.

Jump up^ Reliance Jio Infocomm Limited, Cellular Operators

Association of India

3.

Jump up^ Reliance Jio Infocomm plans to launch pan-India LTE,

RCR Wireless News

4.

^ Jump up to:a b "Jio opens Mobile Number Portability, urges

incumbent telcos to fulfil regulatory obligations". India Today.
2016-09-03. Retrieved 2016-09-03.

5.

Jump up^ Reliance Jio Infocomm launches 4G services for

employees, The Economic Times, December 27, 2015,
retrieved December 29, 2015

6.

Jump up^ Reliance Industries buys 95% stake in IBnfotel

Broadband for Rs 4,800 cr, The Economic Times Business Line

7.

Jump up^ RIL's Infotel Broadband renamed Reliance Jio

Infocomm, The Times of India Business Line

8.

Jump up^ Reliance Jio to launch commercial operations by

December; to alter telecom industry landscape, say experts, The
Economic Times

9.

^ Jump up to:a b Reliance Jio likely to delay its December pan-India

launch, Live Mint

10. Jump up^ "Petition against 4G licence to Reliance Jio: Apex court
seeks Centre's reply". The Hindu. Retrieved 10 June 2014.
11. Jump up^ "Reliance Jio goes for the kill". Rediff.com. 17 January
2014. Retrieved 10 June 2014.
12. Jump up^ "DoT refutes CAG's charges of favouring Reliance Jio
by allowing it to convert its ISP permit into a unified license". The
Economic Times. Retrieved 4 July 2014.
13. Jump up^ Reliance Jio 4G launch in 28 photos: Shah Rukh Khan,
AR Rahman, Ambani family make the event memorable, CNNIBN, December 27, 2015, retrieved December 29,2015
14. Jump up^ Reliance Jio launches 4G service for
employees, Business Standard, December 27, 2015,
retrieved December 29, 2015
15. Jump up^ Reliance Jio 4G Services Launched for Reliance
Employees, Gadgets 360 - NDTV, December 25, 2015,
retrieved December 29, 2015
16. Jump up^ Reliance Jio employees to get freebies, discount on
4G service, Gadgets 360 - NDTV, December 25, 2015,
retrieved December 29, 2015
17. Jump up^ Jio plans
18. Jump up^ "Reliance Jio Signs Deal With BSNL to Address One of
Its Potential Pain Points".
19. Jump up^ "Truce in sight? Trai summons Airtel, Vodafone and
Idea to settle fight with Reliance Jio - The Economic Times".
20. Jump up^ "You can't hold off Reliance Jio for long, Mukesh
Ambani tells rivals - The Economic Times".
21. Jump up^ Jain, Upasana (12 September 2016). "Idea agrees to
give Reliance Jio interconnection points".
22. Jump up^ Reliance Jio to launch commercial operations by
December; to alter telecom industry landscape, say experts, The
Economic Times
23. Jump up^ Reliance to launch Jio by Dec, set to kick off pricing
war, Business Standard
24. Jump up^ Reliance Jio looking to partner local cable firms in
broadband push, Livemint
25. Jump up^ Pan India 2015 spectrum holding data sheet (updated),
Telecom Talk, retrieved 30 November 2015

26. Jump up^ Reliance Jio to share RCom spectrum in seven

circles, The Hindu Business Line
27. Jump up^ Reliance Jio to roll out broadband service on fibre
across 900 cities, The Economic Times
28. Jump up^ Intex ties up with Reliance Jio to supply 4G
handsets, The Indian Express
29. Jump up^ Reliance Retail to sell 4G smartphones under 'LYF'
Brand, Economic Times
30. Jump up^ Reliance Jio Unveiled A 4G Device Under Lyf
Brand, Gizmodo - India, 10 January 2016, retrieved 10
February 2016
31. Jump up^ Reliance Jio unveils low-cost 4G mobile phones
LYF, The Financial Express, 8 January 2016, retrieved 10
February 2016
32. Jump up^ RELIANCE JIO LYF WATER 1 LAUNCHED IN INDIA
FOR RS. 14,999, Maktech, 7 February 2016, retrieved 9
February 2016
33. Jump up^ Reliance's LYF Water 2 Goes Official in India:
specifications, features, price and availability, GSM Insider, 9
February 2016, retrieved 10 February 2016
34. Jump up^ Lyf Earth 1 Price, Specifications, Features, Digit, 1
February 2016, retrieved 10 February 2016
35. Jump up^ 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
36. Jump up^ Reliance Lyf Flame 1 vs Xiaomi Redmi 2 vs Coolpad
Note 3 Lite, TechRadar - India, 10 February 2016, retrieved 10
February 2016
37. Jump up^ Reliance Jio offers strategic Wi-Fi hotspot free services
to increase user base, Mobiletor
38. Jump up^ Pereira, Jonathan (December 20, 2015), Reliance Jio
launches Jionet high-speed free Wi-Fi service in Indore,
MobiGyaan, retrieved December 22, 2015
39. Jump up^ Reliance Jio launches unlimited free WiFi in Mumbai
for Ganesh Utsav, The Indian Express
40. Jump up^ Reliance Jio Introduces Free Public Wifi in Kolkata,
How to Use Jionet Wifi ?, Telecom Talk
41. Jump up^ Reliance Jio launches free Wi-Fi service in Lucknow's
Hazratganj, The Economic Times - Telecom
42. Jump up^ Reliance Jio Launches 4G Wi-Fi Internet Service in
Bhubaneswar, Gadgets 360

43. Jump up^ Mussoorie, the First Hill Station to receive Reliance
Jio's Wi-Fi Service, Reliance News
44. Jump up^ Reliance Jio to offer free 4G-backed WiFi service at
Meerut Collectorate, The Economic Times
45. Jump up^ Reliance Jio rolls out wi-fi service at MG Road in
Vijayawada, The Times of India, 11 January 2016, retrieved 12
January 2016
46. Jump up^ "T20 World Cup 2016: Free unlimited Wi-Fi at 6
stadiums, courtesy Reliance Jio".
47. Jump up^ Chedalla, Teja (5 May 2016), "8 Reliance Jio Specific
Apps go Live on Google Play Store, iOS coming soon", Phone
Radar, retrieved 20 May 2016
48. Jump up^ "MyJio", Google Play, Reliance Jio Digital Services
Pvt. Ltd., 9 May 2016, retrieved 20 May 2016
49. Jump up^ Mookerji, Nivedita (20 May 2016), "Election apps find
flavour in poll season", Business Standard, retrieved 20 May 2016
50. Jump up^ Bhupta, Malini. "Reliance Jio test drive: service open to
select customers through invite only". Retrieved 2016-05-25.
51. Jump up^ "Mobile android app store: Jio 4G Jio play app, jio tv
app, jio tv channels app". digitalappstore.blogspot.in.
Retrieved 2016-05-20.
52. Jump up^ "Reliance to launch Jio On Demand with over 450 TV
channels". Indian Television Dot Com. Retrieved 2016-05-20.
53. Jump up^ Abbas, Muntazir (16 October 2015), "Jio Chat crosses
2 million users in less than six months", The Economic Times
(India), retrieved 20 May 2016
54. Jump up^ "Reliance Jio to Launch Jio Play, Jio Beats, Jio Mags,
Jio News and Jio Money - TeleAnalysis". TeleAnalysis.
Retrieved 2016-05-23.
55. Jump up^ "Jio Join app: First look and comprehensive feature
review". Telecom Talk. 2016-03-16. Retrieved 2016-05-20.
56. Jump up^ "Exclusive First look at Reliance Jio Mags: Jio's
answer to Google's Play Newsstand". Telecom Talk. 2014-12-08.
Retrieved 2016-05-20.
57. Jump up^ "Reliance Jio Offers 4G Connections Through Referral
Scheme - CXOtoday.com". www.cxotoday.com. Retrieved 201605-23.
58. Jump up^ "Exclusive First look at Jio Drive : India's answer to
Google drive and One drive, to offer 100 GB storage". Telecom
Talk. 2014-12-05. Retrieved 2016-05-20.
59. Jump up^ Bendre, Ritesh (12 May 2016), "Reliance JioMoney
Wallet app first impressions: Good potential, needs design
overhaul", Boy Genius Report, retrieved 20 May 2016

60. Jump up^ Bhupta, Malini (December 25, 2015), SRK is brand
ambassador of Reliance Jio, Business Standard,
retrieved December 29, 2015
61. Jump up^ Shah Rukh Khan is Reliance Jio's brand ambassador,
Brand Equity - The Economic Times, December 26, 2015,
retrieved December 29, 2015
62. Jump up^ Mukherjee, Promit (December 24, 2015), Reliance Jio
ropes in Shah Rukh Khan as brand ambassador, Livemint,
retrieved December 29, 2015

External links

Official website

Jio on Facebook

Jio on Twitter

Tharun G (19 April 2015). "800 MHz, 2300 MHz". Pan India
2015 spectrum holding data sheet (updated) (Report) (Second
ed.). Mumbai, India: Telecomtalk. Retrieved 30
November 2015. Jio owns 800 MHz and 2300 MHz spectrum in
16 and 22 circles of the country, respectively

Further reading

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Reliance Industries Limited

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Telecommunication companies of India

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Major Indian companies

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