Reliance Jio, the telecommunications arm of India’s Mumbai-based Reliance Industries, is enabling more Indians to gain access to the internet by launching its new internet-enabled phone with a 4G mobile network.
There are about 250 million feature phone users in India, and many of them still use 2G phones and only for voice calls, according to Varun Mishra, senior analyst at Counterpoint Research.
The new feature phone from Reliance aims to reduce the mobile connectivity gap between rural and urban India by giving non-smartphone users an inexpensive alternative to switch from 2G to 4G mobile networks.
The new phone, named Jio Bharat, will serve as an entry-level device for first-time internet users who will be able use the basic functions without being overwhelmed by the many applications that can be found on a smartphone, said Mishra.
“With a familiar form factor and internet connectivity, this device can help users experience key services such as digital payments, content, and more for the first time through Jio’s ecosystem,” Mishra told CNBC. “However, screen size can limit the experience a bit, but still good for first-time internet users.”
Reliance Jio claims that their monthly plans are 30% less than that of other telcos, and offer customers seven times more data. For a payment of $1.50 users will get unlimited voice calls and 14 gigabytes of data, compared to almost $3 for other voice calls and just 2 gigabytes of data from other operators, the company’s press statement said.
