Reliance Jio Infocomm Limited (Jio) launched its digital services with Jio Welcome Offer which will be effective from 5 September, 2016. Jio is rolling out a unique pan India digital services business. The key brand values for Jio included affordable, high quality and abundant data; connected intelligence; smart, simple and secure services; and bringing people together. The brand will also offer end-to-end solutions that address the entire value chain across various digital services in domains such as education, healthcare, security, communication, financial services, government-citizen interfaces and entertainment.
The Company filed its tariff plans with the Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI). The announcement was made by the Chairman of Reliance Industries Limited, Mukesh D. Ambani, at an annual general meeting of RIL. Ambani emphasised the benefits of digitalisation and said in his speech that Jio is dedicated to realising the Prime Minister’s inspiring vision of ‘Digital India’ for 1.2 billion Indians.
Key features of the Jio Welcome offer are as follows-
- The Jio Welcome Offer provides an opportunity to every Indian to learn, try, customise and experience high quality digital services, without paying for the services up to 31 December, 2016 after which the applicable tariffs will apply.
- The Company also proposes to use this time period to fine-tune its services as well as for resolution of interconnection and MNP related issues that it has faced with several other operators.
- Users will have access to unlimited LTE data and national voice, video and messaging services along with the full bouquet of Jio applications and content, free of cost up to 31 December 2016.
- Domestic voice calls to any network across the country would be free for Jio subscribers even beyond the Jio Welcome Offer.
- Domestic roaming services would also not be charged separately.
- Average data prices would be around INR 50 per GB, which would be amongst the lowest in the world.
Tariff Plans
- The Company filed its detailed tariff plans with TRAI today. Ambani enumerated the following principles used for formulating the tariff plans:
- Benefits of technology would be passed onto customers. All domestic voice calls for Jio customers will be absolutely free, across India and at any time. Domestic roaming charges will not apply in Jio tariffs.
- Data tariffs have been made highly affordable, with full transparency, without any associated conditions. The Company is offering the lowest LTE data rates in the world. Additionally it would offer unlimited night time LTE data.
- The Jio-Apps bouquet, which is worth Rs.15,000 for an annual subscription, will be available complimentary for all active Jio customers up to 31 December 2017. This has been done to make Digital Life available to everyone.
- A special student discount offer, with 25% more data on the main tariff plans, would be offered to all students.
- Jio has introduced a simple tariff structure with only 10 main plans, designed to fit every budget, as against the 22,000 tariff plans prevailing in the country today.
Also, Reliance Retail Ltd has introduced a line-up of affordable 4G LTE smartphones under the LYF brand, starting at Rs.2,999. More feature-rich models will be available at progressively higher price-points like Rs.3999, Rs.4999 and so on.
Jio announced the setting-up of the Jio Digital India Start-up Fund. Jio will work on creating Jio Digital Entrepreneurship Hubs in key cities and towns of India. The Jio Digital India Start-up Fund has set aside Rs.5,000 crores to be invested over the next 5 years.