Reliance Jio Infocomm (RJio), a wholly owned subsidiary of Reliance Industries (RIL), is readying to launch 5G services across the country using the latest version of a technology called non-standalone 5G. For its 5G rollout — branded Jio True 5G — the operator will use its wireless and wireline assets to cover 3.3 million sq km.
RJio is also working with Google to develop “ultra-affordable” 5G smartphones for the Indian market, details of which have not been revealed. This is the second phone that Google and Jio are developing together; the first, JioPhone Next, was unveiled last year.
The operator will also launch a WiFi hotspot service, JioAirFiber, that will offer Gigabit-speed Internet connectivity. It also launched a virtual personal computer concept, Jio Cloud PC, hosted on the cloud.
At present, most operators are deploying a 5G version called non-standalone 5G, which uses existing 4G network to provide the services. This is a “hasty” way to claim a 5G launch, but won’t deliver the breakthrough improvements in performance and capability possible with 5G, RIL chairman and managing director Mukesh Ambani said at the company’s annual general meeting on Monday.
Also read: India-focused VC & PE funds raise record $14.1 bn in H1CY22
“In sharp contrast, RJio will deploy the latest version of 5G, called Stand-Alone 5G, which has zero dependency on our 4G network. With Stand-Alone 5G, Jio can deliver new and powerful services such as low latency connectivity, massive machine-to-machine communication, 5G voice, EDGE computing, network slicing and metaverse,” Ambani said.
“At the recent auction conducted by the Department of Telecommunications, we have acquired the largest and the most appropriate mix of wireless spectrum for 5G. This gives Jio 5G a distinct competitive advantage over other operators,” he said.
In the spectrum auction that ended on August 1, RJio was the top buyer, acquiring radio waves in 700MHz, 800MHz, 1800MHz, 3300MHz and 26GHz bands for about `₹88,078 crore. This was more than double of what its nearest competitor bought.
The 700MHz low-band spectrum will help RJio provide deep indoor coverage, while the operator will combine all these frequencies into a single powerful “data highway”, using a technology called carrier aggregation.
“With Jio 5G, we will connect everyone, every place and everything with the highest quality and most affordable data. In addition to meeting India’s needs, we are confident of offering digital solutions to global markets,” Ambani said.
Also read: JioMart on Whatsapp: Isha Ambani bats for digital platforms to provide ‘comprehensive omni-channel network’
RJio has also deployed an indigenously developed 5G stack that is cloud native, software defined, digitally managed and with support for even advanced features like Quantum Security. About 2,000 Jio engineers worked on this for the past three years.
RJio chairman Akash Ambani said JioAirFiber is a plug-and-play device that will offer Gigabit-speed Internet connectivity. “With 5G being rolled out in India, the current 800 million connected Internet devices will double to 1.5 billion in a year,” Akash said.
On Jio Cloud PC, Kiran Thomas, president at RIL, said, it does not require large upfront investments, and needs no upgrades. “You only pay to the extent you use the Cloud PC.”
The company is working with global technology firms, such as Meta, Microsoft, Intel and Ericsson, for its 5G foray. “We are committed to make India the largest data-powered economy in the world, beating China and the United States. Jio 5G will be the world’s largest and most advanced 5G network,” Mukesh Ambani said.
The company’s digital services arm, Jio Platforms, has been building capabilities that span the entire digital solutions ecosystem. “We are strengthening our expertise by attracting the best global talent across all key digital technologies such as smart devices, cloud and EDGE computing, Big Data, Artificial Intelligence, Internet of Things, robotics, blockchain and augmented reality,” he said.
At present, Jio is the top operator in the country with 421 million mobile broadband subscribers on its 4G network.
