reliance-jio-mifi

Jio Gets Aggressive to Push VoLTE SmartPhones

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Long Queues for JIO SIMsAkash Ambani managed Reliance Jio Infocomm has launched VoLTE service [Mobile Voice] on a unique ecosystem (850 + 1800/2300MHz) along with 4G Mobile Broadband. A very small number of smartphones will currently work on the Jio ecosystem (<5mn), as <3% of the smartphones have VoLTE capability. However, Reliance insiders say that, Jio has a large inventory of LYF branded phones. In order to encourage VoLTE penetration, we see the possibility of Jio subsidizing the LYF handsets, which may act as a catalyst for increased smartphone growth.

Currently there is awareness about 4G phones and consumers are demanding future ready smartphone (i.e. 4G over 3G), there

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Reliance Jio 4G LTE / Small Cell Deployment indicate Mobile Data Pricing at 50% Discount to Airtel

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Jio 4G LTE Small Cell DeploymentDue to increased demand in urban areas, a majority of the data rollout is happening through Small Cells. Compared to BTS, small cells costs 30% less to Huawei; however, small cells are selling at the same price vs BTS of nearly INR 1.0-1.2mn, including ancillary cost, due to higher demand. Small cells provide one-third of coverage compared to BTS but due to lower space requirements, they suit the urban network rollout.

Reliance Jio’s network investment and spectrum holdings provide it significantly higher capacity than existing operators, thereby allowing Jio to reduce data rates/MB to less than 50% of the current market pricing led by Airtel. The company’s investments are long term in nature, and not much in the way for short-term

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How Akash Ambani is Positioning Jio Mobile Data LTE Offering for 1 Bn Consumers?

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Akash Ambani's Jio Mobile Data StrategyReliance Jio Infocomm launch still looks to be a few months away. This has been the ongoing dilemma for the past few years now, and the uncertainty is not helping anyone. Management attributed this to a combination of some more testing to be fully-ready for all data applications, being able to integrate 800MHz, etc.

What is Akash Ambani’s Mobile Broadband Strategy for 1 Billion Consumer Market ?
Jio is basing its approach on poor data speeds and low internet penetration in India, and expectation of high growth over the next 10 years in data traffic, especially video

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Reliance Jio Launch – Device Strategy Unveiled

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Reliance Jio Mobile HandsetsReliance Jio Infocomm is expected to launch with three types of device offerings – 1) Dual SIM smartphones; 2) MiFi device; and 3) Vo-LTE smartphones. Amongst these, a dual SIM smartphone could be the most attractive to a consumer (in the early stages of launch) as they could continue to use their existing telecom providers’ SIM to make voice calls and use Jio’s SIM for access to high-speed data offerings.

RJio’s MiFi devices can be more popular among the niche high usage consumers (particularly youth) and expect it to compete head-on with dongle offerings from companies like RCOM, Tata and MTS. The uptake of Vo-LTE smartphone (which allow Vo-LTE calls) would be contingent on the quality of calls the new network is able to deliver. RJio suggest VoLTE trials have been

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Can Reliance Jio 4G-LTE Pricing be Irrational to Disrupt Market ?

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Billions of dollars of capital already employed with another few perhaps waiting in the wings to be deployed in the upcoming mega battle for market share—is there even an argument that Reliance Jio Infocomm would not destroy any sense of sanity and value-creation possibility in the Indian telecom industry ?

We believe there is more than an argument, if one were to (rationally) assume that R-Jio intends to have a business case at some point with that ‘some point’ being within a reasonable timeframe. One needs to appreciate that wireless business cases in India to be viewed as a series of 20-year projects given the naked reality of large spectrum renewal. Our expectation of ‘P&L rationality’ from R-Jio ironically flows from the very fact that it has deployed billions of dollars in the business. Large balance sheets need large P&Ls to support a business case and large P&Ls need a certain (large) market size

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Reliance Jio Testing Enters 2nd Phase, Massive Beta Launch Soon

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Reliance Jio 4G to Impact 3G in IndiaReliance Jio Infocomm is conducting pre-launch testing of the telecom network. A beta program is to be initiated in a few weeks to test the network and upgrade it for commercial launch of operations. Jio has demonstrated pan-India Lawful Intercept and Monitoring (LIM) facilities for LTE Services to the DoT. It has also participated in the acceptance testing of its network with DoT for intra-and inter-circle MNP. Jio has completed interconnect with all operators across circles. Jio says it has faced no issues in the interconnect of VoLTE calls with 2G/3G networks.

Jio services will include voice, high-speed

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Reliance Jio Lights Up 60,000+ Towers, Testing Small Cell Networks

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Reliance JIo Employyes Network TestWe got some updates on Reliance Jio Infocomm’s network from some of the Service Providers(SP) who are currently serving the upcoming telco. Of the ~65,000 sites of RJio that are currently installed, it appears 28,000-30,000 are RJio’s own towers (mix of poles and full ground based towers). If true, this is a much larger share of own towers in RJio’s network than what we had earlier anticipated.

Further, one of the SPs we spoke to that has a contract from Reliance Jio in few of the circles indicated that many of these sites are up and running (i.e. company is spending on fuel/power on a daily basis) as network testing is aggressively being carried out. The SP is gearing up for the launch of commercial voice+data services (23000MHz + 1800MHz) by Reliance Jio in a handful of cities in June / July.

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Is Reliance Jio 4G LTE Launch Strategy Similar to BOLT ?

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Reliance Jio 4G LTEMukesh Ambani’s Telecom 2.0 Dream is taking shape with Reliance Jio Infocomm. There is has hardly any operator in any other market with a 4G offering without any history (2G/3G legacy). Well, almost right except for a small player in Indonesia named Bolt Super 4G.

Bolt in Indonesia is a 4G only player with an exclusive data offering. Though it is nowhere comparable to RJio in size, ambition and assets [No doubt, RJio with its all-encompassing licences allowed to provide both voice and data services, much greater Pan-India spectrum

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Reliance Jio VoLTE Pilot Test reveal Superior Voice Quality to 2G/3G

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Reliance jio 4G VoLTE ResultsReliance Jio Infocomm has lighted its 4G/LTE Network and we gather that the results from Voice over LTE – VoLTE trials are to management’s satisfaction so far. The quality of voice services on VoLTE is apparently superior compared to 2G/3G voice services. Unlike 2G/3G, VoLTE is a data-based voice service where voice packets can be prioritized over the network; hence, the continuity in communication is ensured. Also, VoLTE allows video-calling, which many subs could view as desirable. Since RJio is planning to launch in 900 cities, it will cover a large proportion of mobile-using population. One key concern has been that VoLTE-using subscribers might not be able to connect with a 2G/3G subscriber on other networks limiting adoption. However, our channel checks suggest that this is not a limiting factor. In such a scenario, the quality of conversation/call will be limited by the inferior technology (2G/3G), but the communication should still work.

What is the Reliance Jio MiFi Device ?
The Mi-Fi device allows the subscribers to

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Will Reliance Jio 4G Launch Dent 3G Subscriber Additions ?

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Reliance Jio 4G to Impact 3G in India3G adoption in India has been much slower than initially expected. We think dismal 3G penetration was due to a combination of reasons – (a) 3G speed not really being perceptibly better than 2G due to operators’ reluctance to invest in the network and smaller spectrum holdings/size, (b) unavailability of affordable devices (which was the case at the time of launch, but not anymore though), (c) lack of subscriber data usage behavior. However, 3G adoption has picked up over the last few quarters as 3G handsets are much more affordable and the handset replacement cycle has shortened, while a larger proportion of subscribers are willing to use data services.

2G & 3G Shift to 4G Mobile Data ?
It is conceivable that a generation of data-hungry subscribers in India may leapfrog from 2G to 4G bypassing 3G (or at best remaining using 3G for

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