Reliance Jio's Controversial Beginning Explained in 5 Facts

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By Gopal Sathe | Updated: 25 November 2016 16:37 IST

Now, anyone with a 4G phone – which now start at under Rs. 5,000 – can get a free Reliance Jio SIM card which entitles you to three months of free calling, unlimited high-speed internet access, and free access to Reliance Jio's services which include live TV, video on demand, news, music, and much more. Here are five things you need to know.

  1. Reliance Jio is currently testing its 4G network. This means that it hasn't officially launched this service, but you can sample it at no cost.

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  2. Interested? Well, you can either buy a Lyf phone starting from Rs. 3,299 from Reliance Jio which comes with this three-month-free service, or if you have a 4G capable phone, you can go to a Reliance Digital store and get a free SIM.

  3. The first free offer from Jio was rolled out in May 2016. At the start of the month, Reliance Jio had 1.5 million users, which is pretty low, but as a result, accessing data (such as watching videos) is pretty fast.

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  4. Other telcos say the number is already at 2.5 million users and are complaining that the preview is just a hidden commercial launch. Why? Airtel, Vodafone and others say that using beta-testing or pre-launch as cover, Reliance is actually using 4G airwaves for full-blown services without paying the government, and while poaching customers from other carriers.

  5. Reliance Jio denies any wrongdoing. Competing 4G services from carriers like Bharti Airtel cost a user a minimum of Rs. 265 for just 1GB a month.

 

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Further reading: Reliance, Reliance Jio, Telecom, Tariffs
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