Reliance Jio has surpassed China Mobile to become the world’s largest telecom operator in data traffic, the company said in a press release. In the first quarter of 2024, Jio’s network handled a staggering 40.9 Exabytes of data, outpacing China Mobile’s 38 Exabytes, as reported by Tefficient, a global analytics firm.
Additionally, Jio boasts the world’s second-largest 5G subscriber base, with an impressive 108 million users.
A noteworthy aspect is that over 28 per cent of Jio’s total mobile data traffic is now attributed to 5G users. This growth has been fueled by initiatives like JioBharat value plans and promotional unlimited 5G offers, driving rapid subscriber expansion.
Jio’s fixed wireless home broadband service, AirFiber, has also experienced robust demand, witnessing record-high quarterly connections across 5,900 towns. Remarkably, AirFiber subscribers consume an average of 13 gigabytes of data daily, surpassing JioFiber users by 30 per cent.
Mukesh Ambani, Chairman of Reliance Industries Limited (RIL), highlighted the significant contributions made by RIL’s initiatives towards fostering growth across various sectors of the Indian economy.
He expressed, “It is heartening to note that alongside strengthening the national economy, all segments have posted a robust financial and operating performance. This has helped the Company achieve multiple milestones. I am happy to share that this year, Reliance became the first Indian company to cross the Rs 100,000-crore threshold in pre-tax profits.”
Ambani emphasised Jio’s pivotal role in leading India’s 5G transformation, from upgrading 2G users to smartphones to spearheading the development of AI-driven solutions. Jio’s impact extends beyond telecommunications, driving a digital transformation where 2G is replaced by 5G, and smartphone and internet user bases witness exponential growth.
Reports suggest that the reliance on digital connectivity has become increasingly evident, with a dramatic 2.4-fold increase in annual data traffic since the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic. Monthly per capita data usage has surged from 13.3 GB to 28.7 GB over the past three years.
