How does Reliance Jio decide who gets Jio Fiber connection

Reliance Jio on Thursday announced the commercial launch of its fibre-to-the-home (FTTH) Jio Fiber broadband service with plans starting from Rs 699 for a 100Mbps connection. The registrations for the service started in August last month and the company said that it has already received 1.5 crore requests and is aiming to cover as many as 2 crore residences and 1.5 crore business establishments across 1,600 towns in India. However, not everyone who registers for the high-speed internet on the company's website will get the Jio Fiber connection. The company has said that the Jio Fiber roll-out will take place in a phased manner and its reach will depend on the demand. So, despite the enticing broadband plans and the promise of free 4K TVs, it might still take a while for JioFiber to come to your house or locality.

At present, if you want a connection, you will have to register for the Jio Fiber services on the company's website. Individuals or RWAs are required to visit the Jio Fiber website and book a High-Speed Internet Connection for their township or society. The online registration process is simple but it is just a way to express interest. It does not guarantee that you or your locality will get a Jio Fiber connection. Jio gauges the demand for its broadband services before rolling it out in an area. Here are the main factors on which access to Jio Fiber connection depend:

Laying of fibre optic cable: Unlike setting up one mobile tower for the whole locality, the fiber network needs to physically reach each home. JioFiber is an FTTH or fibre-to-the-home service and laying down fiber optic cable requires digging of roads and pavements. It is a slow process and is also dependant on weather Gods which can halt and interrupt the rapid expansion plans. At the moment, JioFiber services will only be available at locations where the optical fibre has already been laid.

Number of requests received for JioFiber: Reliance Jio said that the company will only entertain registrations from cities/towns/localities where its fiber network has already been laid out. Therefore, if the requests are made from a location which has no Jio optical fiber network, then the company will not be able to provide its broadband service.

Government regulations: Government had introduced Right of Way (RoW) rules in 2016 to expedite the deployment of optical fiber infrastructure in India. However, most of the states in the country haven't practically implemented RoW and companies still face hurdles in obtaining clearances from the local bodies. The municipal corporations of several states view the deployment of underground optical fibre as a revenue-generating mechanism, making it expensive in certain localities in the country.

Edietd By: Udit Verma

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