As the 5G revolution gains momentum, Reliance Jio has ramped up plans to launch internet-enabled phones for a mere ₹999. The Mukesh Ambani-founded company said it would begin beta testing the first 1 million Jio Bharat phones from July 7. The low-budget devices are set to equip 250 million existing feature phone users with internet-enabled phones.
Jio Bharat will be priced at ₹999 and comes with two significantly cheaper calling and data plans. According to updates shared by the company, the monthly plan is 30% cheaper than feature phone offerings of other operators and comes with seven times more data.
“ ₹123 per month for unlimited voice calls and 14 GB data, compared to other operator’s ₹179 plan for voice calls and 2 GB data,” the company noted.
“There are still 250 million mobile phone users in India who remain ‘trapped’ in the 2G era, unable to tap into basic features of the internet at a time when the world stands at the cusp of a 5G revolution,” an official press note quoted Chairman Akash Ambani as saying.
The upcoming Beta tests will be carried out across 6,500 tehsils.
Earlier this week an analyst report indicated that Jio is currently leading the 5G rollout in India, with Bharti Airtel a somewhat distant second.
“Bharti Airtel lags Reliance Jio in most metrics across circles, suggesting a modest relative pace of roll-outs across 21 circles, implying higher capex risk and potential market share losses if not closed,” the report by JP Morgan said.
(With inputs from agencies)
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Updated: 03 Jul 2023, 06:31 PM IST
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