Reliance Jio has reportedly postponed the launch of its high-speed fiber-to-the-home (FTTH) broadband service to early next year as the telco work aggressively to expand its optic fiber network in the country to target 50 million households in the first phase of the rollout, Business Standard reported on Monday. The telecom operator's ultimate plan is to target 100 million households across these cities with its FTTH service, which it will bundle with IPTV service.
The Mukesh Ambani-led telecom operator, which is currently running beta trials for its FTTH service in around 10 cities, including Mumbai, Delhi and some cities in Gujarat, is planning to launch the commercial services in more than 30 cities early next year. The telecom operator will also bundle its IPTV service with the fixed broadband service.
It is reported that Jio, under trial service, is providing a special router, which connects multiple devices at a refundable deposit of Rs 4,500. With a multi-service operator (MSO) licence in place, it will also offer TV services.
According to the report, Reliance Jio has already achieved over 300,000 kilometres of optic fibre in the country with the help of its contract with Reliance Communications.
The telecom operator, which has already achieved Rs 156 average revenue per user (ARPU) for its 4G wireless service, is aiming to garner around Rs 1,000 to Rs 1,500 per month APRU from its FTTH and IPTV subscribers. Notably, the telco plans to offer speed up to 1 Gbps to its FTTH users.
According to some previous reports, Jio is currently working on identifying mega clusters such as high-rise residential apartments and commercial establishments for its FTTH service.
Reliance Jio's rival Bharti Airtel already offers Fixed broadband and direct-to-home TV service across the country.
Reliance Industries Chairman and Managing Director Mukesh Ambani had earlier this year said that optical fibre and fixed-line broadband is a next big monetisation opportunity for Reliance Jio.
