Contrary to our earlier expectations where we expected Jio to launch Vo-LTE by end 2016, we now expect the company to launch Vo-LTE right from day 1. Indeed Reliance Industries in its annual report stated that it plans to provide 4G voice using Vo-LTE from and to non-Jio networks as well. All its bands 800, 1800 and 2300 MHz could be used for offering 4G. In our view, this puts pressure on Jio to ensure that it seeds adequate Vo-LTE smartphones in the market for a mass market uptake of its service.
A dual SIM smartphone could be the most attractive to a consumer as they could continue to use their existing telco?s (like Bharti or Idea's) SIM to make voice calls and use Jio?s SIM for access to high-speed data offerings. A TD-LTE operator BOLT in Indonesia uses this strategy.
