MiFi is a small device (a wireless dongle) which allows a consumer to create a virtual hotspot. Through this the consumer can connect 3-4 devices at the same time. Some of the key features of a MiFi device are 1) It comes with a pre-installed SIM card; 2) can connect upto a maximum of five WiFi-compatible devices simultaneously; 3) has a rechargeable battery. Some devices use lithium-ion battery for longer life and 4) has a 30-feet network range. From a consumer perspective, connecting to MiFi is similar to connecting to a WiFi network.
In India, we estimate the dongle market size to be around 15mn, of which around 10mn units are WCDMA (or 3G) dongles and 5mn CDMA dongles. Of this, industry participants stated that MiFi devices are estimated to have less than 10% of market share, although the share is growing. In our view, the first data segment to see an impact from R-Jio?s launch is the dongle segment. Between CDMA and 3G dongles, we expect the 3G dongle market to be impacted as CDMA dongles operate in the 850MHz spectrum and provide good indoor coverage (which 3G dongle cannot with 2,100MHz coverage).
You can read more on the
Specification of Reliance Jio MIFi Device here.
