Reliance Jio continues to add users to its network. However, it would be fair to state that the latest numbers show a change in attitude among consumers. According to the company’s latest reports, over 24 million users are using Jio 4G across the country.
And now, they’ve even shared which part of the country forms the major chunk of their user base. Much to our surprise, tier-1 cities like Delhi and Mumbai currently are listed as the ones with lowest number of Jio 4G users.
This can be largely attributed to the fact that Airtel and Vodafone already have a large-scale presence in these regions.
Talking a further bit about its existing users base, states like Gujarat and Telangana occupy the top 2 spot. The reason for higher penetration in these areas is Vodafone and Airtel’s existing tariff range being less favoured by consumers.
After Gujarat and Telangana, Bihar, Karnataka, Maharashtra and Rajasthan have the largest number of Jio subscribers.
Most users are making the best of the free data offer, as voice calling is still facing inter-connectivity issues.
Free, But For How Long?
When we last heard from Reliance Jio, they had acquired over 16 million users. And now, 24 million users have been reported to be on board till 30 September. We’ve already highlighted that the free nature of Jio’s services has been the catalyst for this surge in numbers, which has even made Jio the largest telecom operator in terms of data traffic across the globe.
Also Read: Wonder Why Over 16K TB/Day Data Used on Reliance Jio? It’s FREE!
But the question is, how long can Reliance Jio continue to work under the existing scheme of things? Their ambitious target of reaching 100 million customers by next year clearly comes with a set of tough decisions, which in the short term may not deliver positive outcomes.
The reason for that is that a major chunk of the existing users might not subscribe to their data services once Jio becomes pay-to-use.
(Source: The Economic Times)
(At The Quint, we are answerable only to our audience. Play an active role in shaping our journalism by becoming a member. Because the truth is worth it.)