Jio GigaFiber Said to Lower Entry-Cost With New Security Deposit of Rs. 2,500

Reliance Jio has brought a new version of its optical network terminal (ONT) device "Gigahub Home Gateway" for Jio GigaFiber broadband service that requires a security deposit of just Rs. 2,500. This is Rs. 2,000 lower than the security deposit of Rs. 4,500 for the original ONT device. The new Jio GigaFiber ONT is inferior than the original device and is said to just be a single band router. The Jio GigaFiber broadband service on the new device, however, is apparently identical to what was offered on the existing GigaHub Home Gateway.

While Jio GigaFiber is yet to see a pan-India rollout, customers in cities such as Chennai and Mumbai are now reportedly able to avail services by paying a security deposit of Rs. 2,500 - which is refundable in nature, just like the earlier Rs. 4,500 security deposit. The new version comes with a router that does offer Internet access but comes with single band support and its speeds are limited to 50Mbps, as reported by Twitter user Preshit Deorukhkar. Voice services are also reportedly bundled with the fresh offering.

According to Deorukhkar, the new ONT device only supports 2.4GHz b/g/n Wi-Fi, and not the 5GHz Wi-Fi band. Also, the Ethernet port present on the device is 10/100, not 10/100/1000 (Gigabit). It is said to be measuring 9x5-inches and comes in Black colour. The device also includes three RJ45, one RJ11, and one USB 2.0 port on the back. 

Notably, the earlier ONT device that Reliance Jio calls the GigaFiber Home Gateway supports dual-band connectivity with 2.4GHz and 5GHz frequencies and is capable of offering 1Gbps speeds, but limited to 100Mbps speeds with currently offered plans.

Despite being bundled with a limited router, the new version of the Jio GigaFiber service comes with free 1,100GB monthly data access. One of the early subscribers to the new version has pointed out on DreamDTH forums that the new offering also brings access to the Jio TV app.

It is unclear whether the latest development will exist alongside the original Rs. 4,500 model that was introduced in August last year and is expected to launch across India in the coming months. The subscribers to the previous model are complaining about the delay in the launch of voice services on their JioGigaFiber connections whereas they are already said to be bundled with the new model. The company did start offering a landline connection to some of the existing Jio GigaFiber customers in the past, though.

We've reached out to Reliance Jio for clarity on the new version and will update this space when we hear back.

To recall, Reliance Industries at its Annual General Meeting (AGM) last year revealed that the Jio GigaFiber would act as an all-in-one solution by offering broadband, IPTV, landline, video conferencing, VR gaming, and smart home connectivity through a unified model. A combo plan to enable access to broadband, TV, and landline services even emerged recently at Rs. 600. Moreover, the company was also seen testing a triple play plan with its employees.