Akash Ambani says Jio's 6G rollout is on the horizon, but it won't need a physical infrastructure build-out; details
Jio Platforms plans to introduce next-generation 6G connectivity through a software upgrade rather than building new physical infrastructure, managing director Akash Mukesh Ambani said on Thursday, according to ANI.
Speaking at the Jio Platforms IPO press conference, he stated that the telecom giant's existing network infrastructure and proprietary core technology stack stand prepared for future technological transitions.
“Jio’s first mission is to democratize technology to benefit Indians. 6G is on our horizon. What this really means is that we will do 6G as a software upgrade rather than a new infrastructure build-out,” Ambani said.
Quick answers to key questions
•4 QUESTIONS
1
What is Jio’s stated approach to rolling out 6G?⌵Akash Ambani said Jio plans to introduce 6G through a software upgrade rather than a new physical infrastructure build-out.
2
Why does Jio say it can move to 6G without building new infrastructure?⌵Ambani said Jio’s existing network infrastructure and proprietary core technology stack are prepared for future technology transitions.
3
What existing network assets does Jio say support its 6G readiness?⌵Jio has more than 360,000 towers, over 1 million route kilometres of fibre and what Ambani described as the industry’s largest spectrum bank.
4
When is Jio’s 6G rollout expected to begin?⌵Ambani said 6G is on Jio’s horizon, but the article does not give a specific rollout date.
He attributed this readiness to Jio's extensive network footprint, which includes more than 360,000 towers across India and over 1 million route kilometres of fibre. The company also has the industry’s largest spectrum bank, he said.
Jio Platforms, a subsidiary of Reliance Industries Limited (RIL), has set the price band for its initial public offering (IPO) at ₹1,065- ₹1,119 per equity share. The issue will open for subscription on October 21 and close on October 23.
The company plans to issue up to 27 crore fresh equity shares of face value ₹10 each. The bidding for anchor investors, typically large institutional investors who invest ahead of a public offering, will take place on October 19.
The shares are slated to make their stock market debut on 28 October and are proposed to be listed on both BSE and NSE, according to the draft papers.
As per the news report, Ambani also highlighted Jio's financial performance, saying its revenue grew from ₹1.09 lakh crore to over ₹1.46 lakh crore in the past three years, registering a compound annual growth rate of 15.8%.
The company's earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation, and amortisation (EBIDTA) crossed ₹76,000 crore, while its margins stood at 53.3% in the first quarter of the financial year, he added.
“The basis of our EBITDA and our EBITDA growth has been us powering 60% of India's digital traffic. Today, Jio carries over 60% of India's data traffic,” Ambani stated, adding that 30% of revenue converts directly into free cash flow.
Jio Platforms has a subscriber base of 53 crore users and carries over 60% of India’s digital data traffic, Ambani noted. Customer data consumption averages 43.7 GB per month, while download speeds are nearly 200 Mbps, he added.
In the mobility segment, Jio is targeting a potential market of 340 million users, comprising 100 million first-time mobile users and 240 million subscribers who could migrate from legacy 2G networks.
Meanwhile in home broadband, the company aims to expand its reach from 30 million to 100 million households. To bypass right-of-way hurdles associated with physical fibre, the company developed an in-house wireless broadband solution operating on unlicensed bands, which accounts for 40% of its new additions.
Ambani also underscored plans to take Jio’s internally developed intellectual property abroad, backed by 7,220 patents filed by its engineering team.
“What we think is the end-to-end technology stack that we've created, deployed, and operate gives us the ability to partner with telecom partners across the world and really do this in a CAPEX-light manner,” Ambani said.
(with inputs from ANI)
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