Reliance Jio Partners Plume to Deliver AI-enhanced In-Home Services To JioFiber and JioAirFiber Subscribers

Jio Harnesses Plume’s Cloud Platform to Bring Best-In-Class In-Home Experiences to Consumers in India

Reliance Jio Infocomm Limited, India’s largest telecom network, today announced a partnership with network services and consumer experience pioneer Plume® to provide market-leading smart home and small business services to its subscribers across India. This partnership will deliver state-of-the-art services, through Plume’s highly scalable cloud platform, to approximately 200 million premises in India.

Jio specializes in meeting the digital needs of customers based in India, providing fixed-line and wireless services delivered through the cloud, with all the infrastructure hosted in the country. For this purpose, Jio has built world-class JioFiber and JioAirFiber networks, designed to deliver reliable and high-speed internet and entertainment services to every home of the country.

With this new partnership, Jio will deploy HomePass® and WorkPass® consumer services enabled by Plume’s AI-powered and cloud-based platform, including whole-home adaptive WiFi, connected device and application performance optimization, cyberthreat protection for connected devices, advanced parental controls, WiFi motion sensing, and more. Access to Plume’s Haystack® Support and Operations Suite will enable Jio’s customer support and operations teams to identify, analyze, and act faster on performance-related issues, find and isolate the location of network faults, and monitor the overall customer experience.

“As we continue to expand our portfolio of connected home services, it is critical for Jio to provide our customers the most advanced and secure in-home digital services, delivering the best end-to-end customer experience,” said Mathew Oommen, President, Reliance Jio. “With scalable and leading-edge platforms from partners like Plume, Jio will to continue to strengthen and enhance our connected home service offers and experience.”

“The partnership with Jio marks a significant global expansion of Plume’s services with a major telecoms force in Asia. Our ability to offer a tailored and highly scalable cloud-based solution to meet the needs of the Indian market will enable Jio to rapidly expand its services offering,” said Adrian Fitzgerald, Chief Revenue Officer, Plume. “We are thrilled to help Jio deliver unique and highly personalized in-home digital experiences to its customers across India and support the company in the next chapter of its growth journey.”

About Reliance Jio Infocomm Limited:

Reliance Jio Infocomm Limited, a subsidiary of Jio Platforms Limited, has built a world-class all-IP data-strong future-proof network using 4G LTE and 5G technologies. It is the only network conceived as a Mobile Video Network from the ground up. It is future-ready and can be easily upgraded to support even more data, as technologies advance to 6G and beyond.

Jio has brought transformational changes in the Indian digital services space to enable the vision of Digital India for 1.4 billion Indians and propel India into global leadership in the digital economy. It has created an eco-system comprising of network, devices, applications and content, service experience, and affordable tariffs for everyone to live the Jio Digital Life.

About Plume

Plume® is the creator of the world’s first SaaS experience platform for Communications Service Providers (CSPs) and their subscribers, deployed in more than 55 million locations globally. As the only open and hardware-independent, cloud-controlled solution, Plume enables the rapid delivery of new services for smart homes, small businesses, and beyond, at massive scale. On the front end, Plume delivers self-optimizing, adaptive WiFi, cyber-security, access and parental controls, and more. CSPs get robust data- and AI-driven back-end applications for unprecedented visibility, insights, support, operations, and marketing. Plume leverages OpenSync®, an open-source framework that comes pre-integrated and supported on the leading silicon, CPE, and platform SDKs.

Visit plume.com, plume.com/homepass, plume.com/workpass, plume.com/uprise, and opensync.io. Follow Plume on LinkedIn.

Plume, OpenSync, WorkPass, HomePass, Uprise, Adapt, and Haystack are either trademarks or registered trademarks of Plume Design, Inc. Other company and product names are used for informational purposes only and may be trademarks of their respective owners.

Jio launches Broadband Services at 35-45% Lower Price than Competitors

Billionaire Mukesh Ambani's Jio on Thursday announced launch of its fibre-based broadband service, offering minimum internet speed of 100 Mbps for Rs 699 a month, a rate 35-45 per cent lower than rivals, as it looked to repeat the disruption caused in the telecom sector three years back.

JioFiber will offer free voice calling anywhere in the country, unlimited data and video conferencing, the company said in a statement.

Annual subscribers will get 4K set top box, for streaming TV channels, free while a 4K television set would be complimentary with plans with higher payouts such as 'Gold' and above.

The company announced complimentary high definition set-top box and an advance modem Jio Home Gateway, zero-latency gaming and device security of up to five devices in all the plans priced between between Rs 699 to Rs 8,499 per month.

"For Gaming, Device Security, Home Networking, VR Experience, Video Content services, provided by RCITPL (a platform service company) and TV Video Calling & Conferencing, subscribers need to purchase compatible devices," Jio said.

Jio is offering complementary television sets to annual subscribers of broadband plans in the range of Rs 2,499 to Rs 8,499. The company is also offering television set on two-year subscription of gold plan priced at Rs 1,299 per month.

"The launch of JioFiber, with its revolutionary services is just the beginning of a new and exciting journey. As always, we will continue working hard to bring more such amazing services to your home and take Jio Fiber to the next level. I want to specially thank our 5 lakh JioFiber Preview users, who have contributed significantly in perfecting our product and service experience," Akash Ambani, Director, Reliance Jio Infocomm, said.

The company has announced launch of the service across 1,600 cities.

Reliance Jio, Mukesh Ambani's vehicle for re-entry into the telecom space, had three years back begun mobile services, offering free voice calling and data. That got millions hooked on to his network which started charging for internet data usages from April 1, 2017, while voice calls continue to remain free.

Jio's Rs 3.5 lakh crore investment in 4G telecom services coupled with aggressive pricing had unleashed intense competition in the market that forced rivals to either fold up or merge to better compete with it.

"Currently, the average fixed-line broadband speed in India is 25 Mbps. Even in America, which is the most developed economy, it is around 90 Mbps. JioFiber, India's first 100 per cent all-fiber broadband service, will start from 100 Mbps and go all the way up to 1 Gbps. This will propel India to top 5 broadband nations globally," the statement said.

JioFiber customers subscribing to Rs 699 plan will get three-month complimentary access Jio Cinema and Jio Saavn app and Rs 849 plan subscriber will get three-month access to video entertainment apps. Subscriber of higher plan will get access to annual subscription of leading video entertainment apps bundled in their plans, according to the statement.

Customers opting for JioFiber will need to pay Rs 1,000 installation charges and Rs 1,500 refundable fee.

State-run BSNL tops fixedline broadband service segment with 9.05 million customers. It is followed by Bharti Airtel with 2.4 million customers, Atria Convergence Technologies 1.45 million, Reliance Jio's subsidiary Hathway Cable & Datacom 0.84 million and MTNL 0.74 million. PTI PRS MBI

Jio's Broadband Plans may leave DTH Firms Vulnerable: Bank of America Merrill Lynch

Reliance Jio's bundled broadband services plans may leave DTH firms "most vulnerable", and work out to be "neutral to slight negative" for Bharti Airtel, as it raises competitive heat in corporate and home internet space, a Bank of America Merrill Lynch report said on Tuesday.

The view comes after Reliance Industries on Monday revealed its plans for fixed line broadband services 'Jio Fiber' that will offer optical fibre-based ultra high-speed internet bundled with HD television viewing at less than one-tenth of global rates.

Bank of America Merrill Lynch said that direct-to-home (DTH) companies could be "most vulnerable" to Reliance Industries' bundled broadband and cable services as they are unlikely to offer dual services. It did not anticipate a direct impact on broadcasters but said that indirect impact on subscription revenue could be felt if DTH/MSOs (multiple-system operator) revenue are affected.

"Long-term impact would be on ad spends if advertisers focus more on advertising on Over The Top (OTT) and spend more on producing quality content to compete with Amazon, Netflix etc," it said.

The report did not rule some pressure on Bharti's broadband revenue triggered by Jio's entry in the space. However, it said, impact is likely to be limited as overall fixed broadband penetration remains low (at less than eight per cent) and large greenfiled opportunities remain.

Bharti Airtel did not respond to an e-mail query on the issue.

Jio with over 340 million mobile subscribers has become the country's largest operator in revenue terms within three years of launching its mobile services, and now hopes to pull off the feat in fixed-line broadband services.

Jio Fiber will offer free voice calls for life from landlines, 100 mbps minimum broadband speed at subscription starting from Rs 700 a month and free HD TV set on a commitment to an annual plan. It has declared that the landline rates for international calling will be the "lowest", and its plans will come bundled with subscriptions to most leading premium OTT applications.

Jio Fiber's plans will be priced between Rs 700-10,000 per month.

HSBC, however, said RIL seemed to be targeting only a gradual addition of subscribers.

"In its wireless offering, it was easier for subscribers to switch operator but given the low penetration of wireline internet in India, RIL will have to attract new subscribers," it said.

The report further said that Hathway, Den, GTPL Hathway (owned or investee companies of RIL) also offer home broadband at price of Rs 350-400 per month but offering lower speeds of 50Mbps, whereas RIL is promising a minimum speed of 100 Mbps at a minimum rate of Rs 700.

"We expect the adoption of this offering to be gradual with a long term view of 4-5 years," the report said.

Compared to wireless where prices were at a discount to prevelent rates, Jio Fiber consumers will have to pay more for new technologies, it added.

"On Cable TV, RIL has opened a platform for collaboration with LCOs (Local Cable Operators) rather than announcing any disruptive pricing," the brokerage report said. PTI MBI

Jio to Launch TV Brand 'Reconnect'; Targets 35 Mn Customers in 1st Year of JioFiber Ops

Jio, the telecom arm of Reliance Industries, is targeting 35 million subscribers within the first year of commercially operationalising its fibre-based broadband business from next month, a senior official said.

A senior Jio official said the company will bundle in not just TV sets, but also desktops as part of the Jiofiber plan which will go commercially live from September 5.

He also hinted that the cable TV subscription is not a part of the plans ranging from low Rs 700 to a high Rs 10,000 per month.

Subscribers will have to pay separately for receiving the TV services which will be delivered either through the cable fibre or by getting a DTH service, he added.

He said Jio, which unveiled a set top box earlier in the day, wants to grow in the market "very quickly". "We want the people to again feel excited. We couldn't do that with LTE phones because our price points were really low," the official said, referring to the mobile connectivity service which retails for as low as under Rs 150 per month.

The official said the company will target 1,600 towns from the first day of the launch and will initially try to reach out to the rest of the country through 30,000 local cable operators who are aligned to three multi-system operators acquired by it recently.

The company had launched the home broadband service at the last AGM, following which 5 lakh homes were connected as part of a pilot project and the experience with apartment blocks has not been very unpleasant as many housing societies are "receptive" he added.

"We have built the infrastructure and now launching the services commercially," he said, adding the job is to now go in and connect the homes as part of the last mile reach.

Over 15 million people have already registered, wishing to get the service, while the addressable market in the 1,600 towns is 35 million, including 20 million residences and 15 million business establishments.

"To begin with 35 million customers in 12 months is what we are looking at doing in the first year of operations. But it will depend on how much time the last mile takes to go and connect," he said.

The company will offer television sets of its own brand 'Reconnect' and has also partnered other manufacturers, the official said, adding group synergies make it possible for it to achieve the same without compromising on margins. PTI AA BEN

Reliance to Launch Jio Fiber on Sep 5; Hi-Speed Broadband from ₹ 700/Mth, Unlimited Free Calls from Landlines

Billionaire Mukesh Ambani on Monday announced the roll-out of 'Jio Fiber' from September 5, promising free voice calls for life from landlines, 100 mbps minimum broadband speed at subscription starting from Rs 700 a month and free HD TV set on a commitment to an annual plan.

Speaking at the 42nd Annual General Meeting (AGM), Reliance Industries' Chairman and Managing Director Mukesh Ambani said Jio will also offer unlimited international calling pack from its landlines to the US and Canada at Rs 500 a month, and that default tariff plans will be one-fifth to one-tenth of existing market tariffs.

"...voice calls from home to any Indian operator - mobile or fixed - will be absolutely free forever. On fixed-line international voice calling, we are today ending the era of high international calling rates on landline by announcing the lowest fixed line rates for international calling...," he said.

Jio Fiber services would be available on a commercial basis from September 5.

"...the average fixed-line download speed in the US which is the most developed economy is around 90 Mbps. In India even the most basic Jio Fiber plan starts with 100 Mbps speed and we have plans all the way up to 1 Gbps or 1000 Mbps," he said adding that this would improve the quality of fixed-line data in India.



Declaring that the plans will come at less than one-tenth of global rates, Ambani said Jio Fiber plans will be priced between Rs 700 to Rs 10,000 per month "to suit every budget".

The plans, will come bundled with subscriptions to most leading premium Over The Top (OTT) applications.

"Also, for the first time in India, we are introducing a disruptive concept for watching new movies. Premium Jio Fiber customers will be able to watch movies in their living rooms the same day these movies are released in theatres," he said. This service - Jio First Day First Show - will be launched in mid-2020.

Over the last two years, the RIL AGMs have been a platform to showcase new and upcoming initiatives of the Group. Last year, speaking at the company's 41st AGM, Ambani had said the Jio Giga Fiber Service will provide ultra-high definition entertainment on TV, voice activated assistance, virtual reality gaming and digital shopping as well as smart home solutions.

It was widely-expected that he would spell out the details of the commercial roll-out of Jio Giga Fiber at Monday's AGM.

Jio has been scaling up Jio Giga Fibre infrastructure in various cities over the last few months, and half a million homes have already been given access to it on a trial basis.

Ambani said that since its announcement last year, Jio received over 15 million registrations from nearly 1,600 towns.

"And based on these registrations, we have drawn up a plan to reach 20 million residences and 15 million business establishments in these 1,600 towns," Ambani said. The company will also offer special mobility service for Jio Fiber users to deliver a platinum-grade service and product experience.

Jio Postpaid Plus will offer priority SIM-setup service at home. It would also provide data and voice connectivity across all devices, both at home and outside, along with family plans and international roaming at a fraction of a cost.

"The experience of Jio Fiber and Jio Set Top Box really comes to life when combined with an LED TV. So, Jio Fiber customers who opt for our annual plans which we call Jio Forever plans, will get an HD or 4K LED TV and a 4K set top box absolutely free," he said.

Ambani said that Jio which has amassed over 340 million mobile subscribers in less than three years, is now ready to fire four new growth engines including Internet of Things (IoT) for the entire country, home and enterprise broadband services as well as broadband for SMEs.

Revenue from each of these engines will flow in from this fiscal itself.

The investment cycle of Reliance Jio is complete, and about Rs 3.5 lakh crore has been invested in its digital network, he said. Ambani said that India was "data dark" before the entry of Jio, and its launch has made India "data-shining bright".

"The potential for growth is immense and half a billion customers, is now I believe well within our reach," he said. The investment cycle of Jio is now complete, and only marginal investments would be needed in areas to grow capacity, he said adding that this gives the company strong operational leverage and superior return on investments for years to come.

Jio's IoT platform will be commercially available starting January 1, 2020.

"Jio aims to connect at least 1 billion of these (connected devices) on Jio's IoT platform. This translates into a Rs 20,000 crore per year revenue opportunity for Jio," he said.

The company said it has received strong interest from strategic and financial investors for its consumer businesses -- Jio and Reliance Retail.

"We will induct leading global partners in these businesses in the next few quarters, and move towards listing of both these companies within the next five years," he pointed out. PTI AA MBI