After the launch of Reliance Jio 4G “disruptive” plans and offers, Reliance is working on reaching the next frontier in broadband internet space. Reliance Jio is testing GigaFiber broadband, which offers speeds up to 1Gbps for home users, in Mumbai and Pune, reports Gadgets360. Unlike the wireless Jio 4G SIM services, the GigaFiber by Reliance is a wired system of networks that belongs to the conventional Fiber To The Home (FTTH) service category.
The GigaFiber is already under test and will be launched initially in certain parts of India very soon. The report by Gadgets360 quotes users who have received access to try out Reliance Jio GigaFiber service. Arjun Hemrajani, CTO of Hipcask, claims that he has already received the 100Mbps connection just a few days ago with a free 90-day trial. Tweeting about the speed test results, Hemrajani said he gets speeds of more than 90Mbps. He also shared results of tests from Pune, showing the download speed peaking at a whopping 743.28Mbps!
Mukesh Ambani, in his AGM speech, had told that Reliance is aiming at expanding fibre connectivity to top 100 Indian cities. This FTTH service will bring high-speed affordable broadband internet to millions of users in India. Although no official announcement has been made about tariff plans, going by what Reliance announced for its Reliance Jio 4G services, broadband tariffs are also expected to be extremely competitive and affordable.
Reports are hinting at tariff plans starting as low as INR 500 for 100Mbps speed. The 1Gpbs plan, however, may come with a limit on data usage, so as to ensure fair usage. When Reliance Jio announced the tariffs for its 4G services, it immediately kicked off a price war in the Indian telecom industry. The GigaFiber broadband is also likely to kick off tariff war in the broadband space. Right now, broadband internet isn’t very affordable and users have to shell out nearly INR 1000 – 1500 for speeds up to 8 Mbps. Compared to the existing broadband tariffs, GigaFiber’s 500 for 100Mbps sure does sound like a dream come true for FTTH users in India. It remains to be seen when the official rollout of GigaFiber will happen in Mumbai and Pune. Given the pace at which Reliance is connecting India to 4G networks, it’s very likely that the GigaFiber will become available in the top 100 cities very soon.