Reliance Jio users be ready! Cheap 4G phone, JioFiber, more data expected at Reliance AGM
BT Online New Delhi Last Updated: July 19, 2017 | 15:04 IST 
Reliance Jio has been drawing eyeballs since its launch in September and is most likely not going to break tradition when Reliance Industries holds its Annual General Meeting (AGM) on Friday. Reliance Industries Chairman Mukesh Ambani is expected to make some crucial announcements revolving around telecom disruptor Reliance Jio which may include higher speeds and cheaper devices.
Reliance AGM will be held on July 21 and the most-anticipated declaration at the event this year is the launch of a really cheap 4G feature phone, along with launch of company's broadband network JioFibre. There might be more announcements related to Jio that might surface at the annual meet.
With so many things likely to happen, here's what to look out for related to Jio at the Reliance AGM:
Cheapest 4G phone, ever!
Internet users across India have been going gaga since pictures of what has been touted as the cheapest 4G phone were leaked earlier this month. Chairman Mukesh Ambani is likely to launch the device during the AGM.
The leaked pictures show a phone in black with physical alpha-numeric keypad and a huge torch button at the centre of the direction keys - visual characteristics reminiscent of the long-gone era of feature phones. The back of the phone shows a two megapixel camera unit.
The leak also suggests that the 4G VoLTE phone by Jio will come with 512MB of RAM paired with 4GB of internal storage, which is expected to be expandable up to 128GB via a microSD card.
The most striking aspect of the phone is its price; some reports suggest that the handset could be priced at an unbelievable Rs 500. Even if this proves to be merely wishful thinking, the phone will most probably be priced between Rs 1,000 to Rs 1,500.
It would seem that the company is sourcing handsets from various manufacturers. As recent reports suggest, Reliance has roped in Indian smartphone manufacturer Intex Technologies to make the handsets in India with Reliance Jio as a vendor. However, it will not have a say in the pricing or marketing of the phone. Earlier reports stated that Reliance has contacted Foxconn to manufacture the phones.
Reliance Jio's growth was exponential in the initial months of its launch but has gradually slumped. One of the biggest hurdles the company faces is the limited number of 4G-capable phones in the country. However, with Jio launching a cheap 4G handset, the number might go way beyond the existing user-base.
Pay less for 4G with Jio
Mukesh Ambani may announce a cut in Jio tariffs when he addresses the Reliance AGM on Friday. This will again be to expand consumer base, similar to the cheap 4g phone. Both the low-priced phone and smaller and lower tariffs are expected to complement each other.
Reports also suggest that Ambani might put an end to the freebies Jio customers have been enjoying since its launch, and introduce minimum floor rates. Minimum floor price, for both data and voice calls, has been demanded by a section of incumbent telecom operators, but implementing it could mean an end to freebies in the market.
4G to your home
This new announcement from Reliance Jio about JioFiber is expected to shake-up the broadband industry of the nation. Earlier this year, the company announced that they will be launching JioFiber in Mumbai, Delhi-NCR, Ahmedabad, Jamnagar, Surat and Vadodara for free under its JioFiber Preview Offer.
Last week, a picture was posted on Reddit, showing us a glimpse of what the JioFiber plans might look like. The image shows that the company will be offering 100Mbps speed with a cap of 100GB per month at Rs 0 for 3 months.
The data is free but the user will have to pay Rs 4,500 for the installation.
However, even this amount can be refunded later, according to the company. One of the biggest factors with the new service will be a free-period of three months.
Later when the offer period ends, the broadband service prices are expected to start at Rs 500 for 600 GB data and for 1000 GB data at 100Mbps speed subscribers would be required to pay Rs 2,000 a month.
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