In addition to the 4G technology-based mobile broadband services, Reliance Jio Infocomm (RJio) is also rolling out Internet services on fibre across 900 cities. This will allow the company to offer a wide gamut of bandwidth-guzzling applications such as live television and other digital services across various sectors.
RJio, a subsidiary of the Mukesh Ambani-controlled Reliance Industries, has already finalised key agreements with technology partners, infrastructure providers, device makers and application partners for the project. “The company aims to create a digital ecosystem which can be used to benefit the industry, the government and retail users. The key leadership talent required for the setting up of the business are in place and are currently leading the implementation phase,” Reliance Industries said in its Annual Report for the year 2013-14.
While the company has rolled out its own optical fibre cable network across various geographies, it has done infrastructure sharing deals with other private players including Bharti Airtel and Reliance Communications.
This is line with the company’s plans to provide services across various sectors, including healthcare, education, security, financial services, e-governance and entertainment. When complete, this will be the largest fibre-based operation by a private player. Market leader Bharti Airtel is offering fibre-based connectivity in only about 90 cities. State-run Bharat Sanchar Nigam Ltd is the only player to have a countrywide fixed-line network based on a mix of copper and fibre cables.
Until now, not many players were interested in fixed-line networks, primarily because mobile became the preferred mode for offering communication services. State-run Bharat Sanchar Nigam Ltd is the only player with over 20 million fixed line users. Even a pan-India telecom company such as Bharti Airtel has nearly 200 million mobile users across the country compared with just over 3 million fixed line telephone subscribers.
But this is now changing thanks to the uptake of data services.
Telecom companies are realising that data applications such as tele-education and entertainment services need huge amounts of bandwidth, which a pure wireless network may not be able to support.
To tide over capacity problems, telecom companies are now looking to use optical fibre as the backbone for carrying data over a long distance and then route it to through the wireless network at the last mile.