Reliance Jio GigaFiber: Check out what rivals are offering before making a switch

Reliance Jio GigaFiber: Check out what rivals are offering before making a switch

mangaloretoday/ yahoo

Reliance Jio will be rolling out its Jio GigaFiber broadband internet service from September 5, the third anniversary of the launch of Jio’s services in India. Expectations are high and the company will be looking to disrupt the fixed-line internet space just the way it changed India’s mobile internet landscape. Apart from the fixed internet connection, Jio GigaFiber connection will be accompanied by fixed-line phone service, set-top-box capable of gaming, Free 4K TV and Jio IoT services.

At launch, Jio GigaFiber is expected to be cheaper and give a tough fight to the existing players in the market that include Airtel, Tata Sky, and ACT Fibernet. However, should you make switch to Jio GigaFiber on the launch day or take a wait-and-watch route? Let’s take a look at what JioFiber’s rivals are offering before deciding on the roll-out day.

Airtel V-Fiber Broadband: Airtel charges Rs 799 for 40Mbps speed and its 100 Mbps plan called ’Entertainment’ starts from Rs 1,099 per month with a data limit of 300GB (1000GB bonus data) in Delhi circle. The plan also offers subscription services like Amazon Prime, Netflix, Zee5 Premium and Airtel TV Premium.

Tata Sky Broadband: Tata Sky Broadband plan starts from Rs 999 per month for a 25 Mbps connection which is slower than what is promised by Reliance JioFiber. However, the plan has no data limits and comes with a free router. The 100Mbps plan of Tata Sky starts from Rs 1599. None of the Tata Sky Broadband plans offers free installation, a huge pain point in 2019!

ACT Fibernet Broadband: Basic Act Fibernet Broadband plan called the ACT Silver Promo starts from Rs 749 for 100 Mbps speed and a data limit of 500GB. The ACT Platinum Promo plan of ACT Fibernet offers 150 Mbps speed and a 1000GB data limit. The company also allows its users to activate Netflix by subscribing to any ACT Entertainment plan.

Reliance JioFiber: The Reliance JioFiber plans start from Rs 700 and offer a minimum speed of 100 Mbps. The plan prices go up to Rs 10,000 with speeds of 1Gbps. Reliance Jio has a ’Welcome offer’ under which it will give an HD or 4K LED TV as well as 4K set-top box for free with their JioFiber connection to those who opt for the annual plans or the ’Jio Forever plans.’ Meanwhile, registrations for JioFiber connections are open on the company’s website and the commercial rollout will only begin from next month on September 5.

The Jio GigaFiber plans to seem enticing and most affordable but one must remember the problems that Jio 4G data services had faced. The internet speeds had come down to 4-8 Mbps from the promised 50 Mbps. The connection faced frequent fluctuations and hampered the overall user experience. Meanwhile, other players are also expected to slash their fixed-line broadband prices and offer services on par with Jio GigaFiber. Therefore, our suggestion is to wait for a few months after the Jio GigaFiber roll-out and then make a decision.