RIL AGM LIVE Updates: Jio 5G will roll out by Diwali this year. (Image: screenshot from RIL feed) Reliance Industries Limited (RIL) hosted its annual general meeting (AGM) today and the 5G rollout date is now official for its Jio network. The company plans to roll out 5G in the metro cities of Delhi, Mumbai, Chennai and Kolkata by Diwali this year. It will expand this further by December 2023 and is aiming for a nation-wide rollout by then. Jio plans to make ‘5G’ affordable, according to RIL chairman Mukesh Ambani, who said that they do not wish to limit 5G to just elite or privileged users.
Jio also announced partnerships with companies such as Meta, Google, Qualcomm and Microsoft. With Google, it plans to introduce more ‘ultra-affordable’ 5G phones, though no details or timeline was shared around this. The company will also partner with Qualcomm for some home grown 5G solutions. It also announced its Jio AirFiber which will offer a cloud computing experience on 5G networks.
JioMart is also partnering with WhatsApp to ensure an end-to-end shopping experience. Users will be able buy groceries, pay for them all from the chat itself.
For the third year in a row, the AGM is being held through an online video conference. In the past, the company has made some major business announcements during the AGM, including the conglomerate’s foray into the green energy business and a large investment in Jio Platforms from Google.
The AGM can be viewed on this JioMeet link. Once you click on the link, you will be taken to a webpage where you will be given two options: “Others” and “Shareholders.” Click on “Others,” and enter your full name to join the AGM video conference.
RIL's AGM has seen some key announcements around Jio and its 5G rollout.
1) The Jio 5G rollout will begin around Diwali which is in October. The list cities includes Delhi, Mumbai, Chennai and Kolkata. You can read more here.
2) Jio 5G will be stand-alone with zero dependency on 4G network.
3) Indigenous end-to-end 5G stack, claims Jio which is also cloud ready.
4) Jio is partnering with Meta for immersive technology using its 5G network.
5) It will partner with Google to develop ultra-affordable 5G smartphones and for Google Cloud as well.
6) It will partner with Microsoft for Azure cloud ecosystem.
7) Jio will partner with Intel for cloud-scale data centres and 5G edge locations.
8) It will also partner with Qualcomm to develop 5G solutions for India.
9) It also announced JioAirFiber, which will ensure 5G-like speeds at home. The JioAirFiber Home Gateway is a wireless device, which can be plugged and users will get a personal Wi-Fi hotspot in your home, connected to 5G network. This is an end-to-end wireless solution with no wires required.
Jio and Meta have announced as partnership for WhatsApp as well offering an end-to-end experience for online grocery shopping all from within the chat. Users will be able to buy groceries, make payment all from the chat. Right now the experience is not as seamless and with the new global first partnership, users will have a better overall experience when shopping for groceries on WhatsApp. Read more about this partnership here.
It looks like all announcements around Jio and 5G are now over. Mukesh Ambani is now talking about the company's news business.
Jio is partnering with Qualcomm-- the world's leading chipset provider. Qualcomm Cristiano Amon is on stage talking about the partnership with Jio and the potential of 5G. Qualcomm has been push 5G adoption with many of its chipsets now supporting the next-generation of networks. Amon says that mmWave will be a critical component of 5G to help enable fiber like broadband-like experience. 5G rollout is a top priority, he says.
Jio is also partnering with Meta for metaverse. It is also working with Google for ultra-affordable 5G smartphones as well as for Google Cloud. It will also partner with Microsoft for cloud computing as well. It is also working with Intel around infrastructure, computing, 5G edge computing as well.
Jio is also opening a Jio 5G experience centre for citizens in Mumbai. Users will be able to experience the use cases of 5G before it fully rolls out.
Jio Cloud PC will offer a virtual PC in the cloud. Businesses will only pay for what they use. This is similar to what companies like Amazon, Microsoft, and Google offer with their virtual PCs.
Jio Air Fiber is an end-to-end solution based on 5G. This can deliver multiple video streams in UHD (4K resolution) and ensure that you can have a more immersive experience for IPL games. Keep in mind this is a potential use case, and not something that is rolling out immediately. Jio Air Fiber will have ultra-low latency network. Jio 5G will also have business/ enterprise use cases.
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Jio is planning a nationwide rollout for its 5G network by December 2023.
Mukesh Ambani has confirmed a launch date for Jio 5G's rollout. Jio 5G will start rolling out around Diwali this year in the cities of Delhi, Mumbai, Chennai and Kolkata. Jio will increased coverage to more cities by 2023.
Mukesh Ambani says Jio has distinct advantage in 5G. Says they are the only ones who have the 700Hz spectrum which will ensure low-latency and good coverage indoors for the 5G network. Jio 5G will be offer unparelleled coverage, and it will be affordable as well, the RIL chairman said.
With Airtel saying they will launch 5G before the end of August, Reliance Jio might give us some insight on when its 5G service will be operational.
During the company’s 45th AGM, the Mukesh Ambani-led company could announce a 5G Android-based smartphone, dubbed the JioPhone 5G. It is said to be developed in collaboration with Google. Expect the phone to cost in the vicinity of Rs 10,000.