India’s largest telecommunications provider, Reliance Jio, appears poised to introduce a novel fixed wireless access (FWA) solution known as Jio AirFiber in the country. This strategic move comes hot on the heels of its primary competitor, Airtel, launching its own offering called Xtream AirFiber earlier this month.
The Upcoming Jio AirFiber
Sources indicate that the telecommunications giant, led by Mukesh Ambani, plans to unveil the Jio AirFiber device during the upcoming festive season. Notably, this new device is expected to hit the market with a price tag up to 20% more affordable than its competing counterparts.
Taking the Airtel Xstream AirFiber’s launch as a reference point, which debuted with a price of INR 2,500 and a 6-month plan for INR 4,435, industry observers anticipate that Jio’s pricing will be highly competitive.
The grand reveal of the Jio AirFiber is expected to take place at the company’s annual general meeting (AGM), a platform that Jio has historically used to make significant announcements. This meeting has previously witnessed the launch of groundbreaking services like its 4G and 5G offerings.
An insider familiar with the matter stated, “We should hear the announcement during the upcoming AGM. Traditionally, Jio has launched new products with big bang offers, and this may be no different.” This implies that similar to past releases, the Jio AirFiber is likely to be accompanied by enticing promotional deals.
Recalling Jio’s previous strategy, the company is known for launching its services with initial free offerings, as it did with its 4G services prior to commercial launch.
Reports indicate that Jio has already embarked on testing the Jio AirFiber device in select cities where its 5G services have been fully operational. A controlled group of users, including some of the company’s employees, have reportedly received these devices for comprehensive testing.
The technological architecture of Jio AirFiber is designed to utilize various 5G frequencies owned by the company, such as 700 MHz, 3300 MHz, and 26GHz. It’s worth noting that Jio has previously introduced an FWA device tailored for enterprise use, which leverages the 26 GHz spectrum band.
