Mukesh Ambani owned Reliance Jio which is yet to launch its services commercially will be showcasing its high-speed data offerings at the IPL matches at Wankhede stadium in south Mumbai, starting 8th April. Jio will be providing free WiFi access to the 30,000 spectators of the match at the stadium and in turn expects to give a taste of what internet browsing and streaming experience will be like on its blazing fast LTE network when it is launched. Jio is currently testing the WiFi network at Wankhede stadium and its LTE network is also currently in a test phase in Mumbai.
"Infrastructure required to wi-fi enable the entire stadium has been laid out already. And there certainly are plans to offer the Reliance Jio experience to cricket fans watching the matches in action. In fact, trials are already on and the company executives are working on various related aspects of delivering the high-speed internet experience," sources said.
While IPL matches will be held throughout the country, Reliance chose to offer 4G services only at Wankhede stadium as IndiaWin Sports Pvt Ltd (a group company of Reliance Industries Ltd) owns Mumbai Indians team. One of the eight franchise cricket teams of the IPL, Mumbai Indians will play seven T20 matches at Wankhede, of which the first one against Kings XI Punjab is scheduled for April 12. Among other teams that Mumbai Indians will fight out at Wankhede include Chennai Super Kings (April 17), SunRisers Hyderabad (April 25), Rajasthan Royals (May 01), Delhi Daredevils (May 05), Royal Challengers Bangalore (May 10) and Kolkata Knight Riders (May 14).
Reliance has been keen on showcasing the 4G services and has been testing it in different pockets of the country including select Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) campuses and high-streets in a select few states. The company also gave a taste of its 4G services to the corporate sector from across the world at the Vibrant Gujarat summit held in January this year.
