Reliance Jio GigaFiber commercial launch: 5 things you need to know

Reliance JioGigaFiber is expected to launch early next month. Here are five things you need to know about the broadband service.

Reliance JioGigaFiber will reportedly commercially launch in India on August 12. (Reuters)

Reliance Jio is reportedly going to officially announce the commercial launch of its broadband service GigaFiber at its Annual General Meeting on August 12. The optical fibre-based Reliance JioGigaFiber was announced last year but has been available to limited users as beta phase. Reliance Jio's new service is expected to disrupt the broadband space as it did to the mobile data segment.

What is Reliance JioGigaFiber?

Similar to Airtel's V-Fiber network, Reliance JioGigaFiber is a fibre optic-based broadband service. Fibre optic is said to be much faster than the traditional copper wire-based network with lower latency and higher throughput over longer distances. Reliance Jio's broadband service is promised to deliver internet speeds up to 1Gbps. Currently, very few players such as ACT offer 1Gbps data plans. A faster network will allow users to stream high-resolution content such as UHD and make live video conferencing seamlessly.

How do you register for JioGigaFiber?

Reliance Jio's website is still accepting new registrations for its GigaFiber service. To register, visit GigaFiber.Jio.com/registration. Enter your location (work or home) and then confirm the registration by providing your full name, mobile number, and email ID. You will receive an OTP on your registered phone number for verification.

What are Reliance JioGigaFiber plans?

Reliance Jio doesn't offer postpaid plans for its GigaFiber services. The company is currently running a 'JioGigaFiber preview offer' under which users can get high-speed internet up to 100Mbps for 90 days along with a monthly data of 100GB. In the case, you finish your 100GB data in less than a month, you can top-up up to 40GB data through My Jio application or Jio.com website. Note that Reliance Jio isn't charging anything for installation but it does take a security deposit of ₹4,500 for the ONT device. The deposit, however, is refundable.

Not just the internet

Reliance Jio is looking to leverage its GigaFiber broadband service to tap the Internet of Things (IoT). The company last year unveiled GigaRouter and GigaTV set-top box devices. It also launched a bunch of smart home solutions ranging from audio and video dongle, smart speaker, Wi-Fi extender, smart plug to TV camera and more. Since the GigaFiber announcement, Jio has made investments in top local cable networks such as Den Networks and Hathway Cable.

Cheaper plans with more benefits

Reliance Jio is expected to launch its GigaFiber services at ultra-affordable prices. According to recent reports, Reliance Jio will offer a combo package of broadband, TV service, and landline for as low as ₹600 a month. The Triple Play Plan is said to offer 28 days of validity and up to 100GB of data.