Tag: Jio

Jio partners with FanCode to offer complimentary sports streaming

KV Prasad Jun 13, 2022, 06:35 AM IST (Published)

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Reliance Jio has announced a with FanCode, a leading sports OTT platform. This collaboration will provide complimentary FanCode subscriptions to users of select JioAirFiber, JioFiber, and Jio Mobility prepaid plans, offering unparalleled access to live sports streaming, including exclusive Formula 1 content.

The offer is designed to cater to the burgeoning demand for live sports content among Indian viewers, particularly Formula 1 aficionados. Eligible JioAirFiber and JioFiber customers on plans priced at ₹1,199 and above, as well as Jio Mobility Prepaid users on ₹398, ₹1,198, ₹4,498 plans, and the newly introduced ₹3,333 annual plan, will benefit from this complimentary access. This initiative applies to both new and existing subscribers of the specified plans, at no additional cost.

FanCode, renowned for its comprehensive coverage of a wide array of sports including cricket, football, basketball, and more, holds the exclusive broadcast rights for Formula 1 in India for the 2024 and 2025 seasons. Subscribers can look forward to not just races but also practice and qualifying sessions, Sprint races, and Grands Prix. The platform also offers live streaming of major sporting events, in-depth analysis, real-time updates, extensive sports libraries, and the latest news from the world of sports.

Also read: Bharti Airtel: Tariffs ‘absurdly low’, ‘substantial’ hike needed

Elon Musk forms several ‘X Holdings’ companies to fund potential Twitter buyout

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Thursday’s filing dispelled some doubts, though Musk still has work to do. He and his advisers will spend the coming days vetting potential investors for the equity portion of his offer, according to people familiar with the matter

KV Prasad Journo follow politics, process in Parliament and US Congress. Former Congressional APSA-Fulbright Fellow

Bharti Airtel: Tariffs ‘absurdly low’, ‘substantial’ hike needed

KV Prasad Jun 13, 2022, 06:35 AM IST (Published)

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Bharti Airtel on Wednesday, May 15, said mobile tariffs in India are at “absurdly low levels” compared to anywhere in the world and that “substantial repair” is absolutely needed.

The telco also said India will be well served if it has three mobile operators instead of a duopoly. The three major operators in India are Reliance Jio, Bharti Airtel and Vodafone Idea.

The telecom giant, which reported its quarterly earnings on Monday, May 15, said it added 6.7 million subscribers in the last quarter of the 2023-24 fiscal versus an estimate of 3.5-4 million. However, its Average Revenue Per User (ARPU) increased only 0.5% to ₹209 on a quarterly basis, which was lower than the company’s estimates.

Elon Musk forms several ‘X Holdings’ companies to fund potential Twitter buyout

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Thursday’s filing dispelled some doubts, though Musk still has work to do. He and his advisers will spend the coming days vetting potential investors for the equity portion of his offer, according to people familiar with the matter

KV Prasad Journo follow politics, process in Parliament and US Congress. Former Congressional APSA-Fulbright Fellow

Reliance Jio leapfrogs China Mobile to become global data traffic leader

KV Prasad Jun 13, 2022, 06:35 AM IST (Published)

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Telecom giant Reliance Jio has reportedly become the world’s largest mobile operator in terms of data traffic, surpassing even China Mobile. The announcement came on Monday after Jio disclosed its results for the March quarter.

As of March 2024, Jio has a subscriber base of 481.8 million, with 108 million subscribers actively utilising Jio’s True5G Standalone network.

According to a press release, the total data traffic traversing the Jio network has surged to a staggering 40.9 Exabytes, marking a 35.2% year-on-year surge. This growth is largely attributed to the widespread adoption of 5G technology and Home services.

Notably, 28% of the traffic comes from 5G subscribers. Additionally, Jio’s Fixed Wireless Access (FWA) services have made substantial contributions to this surge in data traffic.

The onset of the COVID-19 pandemic is said to have triggered a 2.4x increase in annual data traffic, with per capita monthly data usage skyrocketing from a modest 13.3 GB to 28.7 GB over just three years.

Financially, Reliance Jio achieved several significant milestones, with consolidated Earnings Before Interest, Taxes, Depreciation, and Amortisation (EBITDA) surpassing ₹1,78,677 crore and consolidated Profit Before Tax (PBT) exceeding ₹1,00,000 crore. Furthermore, the company’s market capitalisation has surged past ₹20,00,000 crore.

(With inputs from agencies)

Also Read: Reliance Jio Q4 results: Profit jumps 13% to ₹5,337 crore, revenue increases 11% at ₹25,959 crore

Elon Musk forms several ‘X Holdings’ companies to fund potential Twitter buyout

3 Mins Read

Thursday’s filing dispelled some doubts, though Musk still has work to do. He and his advisers will spend the coming days vetting potential investors for the equity portion of his offer, according to people familiar with the matter

KV Prasad Journo follow politics, process in Parliament and US Congress. Former Congressional APSA-Fulbright Fellow

Reliance Jio Q4 results: Profit jumps 13% to ₹5,337 crore, revenue increases 11% at ₹25,959 crore

KV Prasad Jun 13, 2022, 06:35 AM IST (Published)

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Reliance Industries’ telecom arm Reliance Jio Infocomm saw its net profit rise 11% year-on-year (YoY) to ₹5,337 crore for the January to March 2024 quarter, the firm’s financial results released on April 22 showed. This beats the CNBC-TV18 poll projection of ₹5,268 crore.

Jio’s revenue for the March 2024 quarter came in at ₹25,959 crore, up 11% YoY from ₹23,394 crore. In the preceding October to December 2023 quarter, the revenue stood at ₹23,394 crore. The quarter’s revenue has come in slightly higher than the poll expectation of ₹25,900 crore.

The company’s earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation, and amortisation or EBITDA rose 11% YoY to ₹13,612 crore. This compares to analysts’ forecast of ₹13,605 crore. The telco’s margin at 52.4% for the quarter was marginally lower than the poll projection of 52.5%.

Analysts polled by CNBC-TV18 expected it to be a steady quarter while the Street awaits announcements on tariff hikes and Jio IPO plans. The average revenue per user (ARPU) Average Revenue Per User (ARPU) rose 1.6% YoY to ₹181.70. while the telco added 10.9 million subscribers quarter-on-quarter, and 42.5 million YoY.

The Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI) data shows that the company added 4.17 million subscribers in January and 3.59 million in February.

Following the Q4 results, Naveen Kulkarni, CIO, Axis Securities PMS said, he doesn’t see any major positive or negative surprise at this juncture in Jio results. “EBITDA and earnings numbers look largely in line with expectations. So this is an inline quarter for the company, but overall it is continuing to inch up on a consistent basis.”

Market expert Prakash Diwan also said that “no major fireworks” were expected from Reliance Jio earnings this quarter given there was no major change in strategy in terms of pricing or new subscriber additions. “The price hike is on the cards, but we don’t know when, whether it is June or July and who initiates that. Jio will probably follow once Bharti announces a price hike and hence the ARPUs could start looking slightly healthier,” he said.

Track Reliance Industries Q4 results LIVE updates here

Elon Musk forms several ‘X Holdings’ companies to fund potential Twitter buyout

3 Mins Read

Thursday’s filing dispelled some doubts, though Musk still has work to do. He and his advisers will spend the coming days vetting potential investors for the equity portion of his offer, according to people familiar with the matter

KV Prasad Journo follow politics, process in Parliament and US Congress. Former Congressional APSA-Fulbright Fellow

Mobile bills may go up post the election

KV Prasad Jun 13, 2022, 06:35 AM IST (Published)

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Mobile bills are likely to rise as Balaji Subramanian, Vice President of IIFL Securities, expects telecom companies to increase tariffs post-elections.

“The first round of tariff increases should happen probably after the election. So, sometime in the second half of calendar 2024. And if you look at this industry, typically, price hikes happen every two years. So, we had something in late 2019, in 2021; this time since we are in the run-up to elections and the middle of calendar year 2026, we could see another tariff increase of 15-20%,” he told CNBC-TV18.

Subramanian believes most companies require substantial price increases in the next 2-3 years.

He also mentioned that in the broader industry context, perhaps after the elections, Reliance might contemplate making Jio platforms publicly available.

Therefore, leading up to that event, a rise in tariffs would enhance the profitability of all companies in the industry.

Also Read | Vodafone Idea FPO price band fixed between ₹10-₹11; Check lot size and date here

Meanwhile, Vodafone Idea announced in a filing on April 12 that it has set the price range for its Follow-on Public Offer (FPO) at ₹10 to ₹11 per share. The FPO is scheduled to begin on April 18 and end on April 22. The company aims to raise ₹18,000 crore through this FPO.

Also Read | Indian telecom regulator initiates consultation on spectrum auction in crucial 5G bands

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Elon Musk forms several ‘X Holdings’ companies to fund potential Twitter buyout

3 Mins Read

Thursday’s filing dispelled some doubts, though Musk still has work to do. He and his advisers will spend the coming days vetting potential investors for the equity portion of his offer, according to people familiar with the matter

KV Prasad Journo follow politics, process in Parliament and US Congress. Former Congressional APSA-Fulbright Fellow

JioAirFiber introduces additional data boosters for users starting at ₹101

KV Prasad Jun 13, 2022, 06:35 AM IST (Published)

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JioAirFiber users can now enjoy additional data boosters to supplement their existing plans. The data booster packs come in three variants: ₹101, ₹251, and ₹401, all co-terminating with the base plan and valid until the end of the billing cycle.

The base plans for JioAirFiber already include a generous 1 TB allocation of high-speed, unlimited data, followed by a reduced speed of 64 Kbps as per the Fair Usage Policy.

Jio AirFiber plans, priced at ₹599, ₹899, and ₹1,199, cater to the diverse needs of users, with options available for six or 12-month subscriptions for new customers.

Announced by Reliance Industries chairman Mukesh Ambani on August 28, 2023, AirFiber eliminates the constraints of physical infrastructure, providing broader coverage and potentially surpassing the 1 Gbps speeds offered by Jio Fiber. The speed, however, may vary based on the signal strength from the nearest Jio Tower.

The Jio AirFiber device supports Wi-Fi 6, featuring parental controls and a robust security firewall. It serves as the foundation for Jio’s Smart Home solutions, including the Jio Home Router, Jio Set-top Box, and the Jio Home smartphone app.

In addition to high-speed broadband, Jio AirFiber offers an extensive range of digital entertainment services. Users can access over 550 leading TV channels in high definition, catch up on missed shows, and enjoy content from 16+ popular OTT apps across various devices.

Jio AirFiber provides home networking solutions with the latest Wi-Fi router, a 4k Smart Set-top Box, and a voice-activated remote, all included at no additional cost for subscribers.

To ensure an ultra-fast connection, an outdoor unit is also installed on the terrace or rooftop, with the installation service incurring a charge of ₹1,000. However, this fee is waived off for users opting for an annual plan.

Also Read: Reliance 46th AGM: Mukesh Ambani unveils five frontiers for Jio’s growth

Elon Musk forms several ‘X Holdings’ companies to fund potential Twitter buyout

3 Mins Read

Thursday’s filing dispelled some doubts, though Musk still has work to do. He and his advisers will spend the coming days vetting potential investors for the equity portion of his offer, according to people familiar with the matter

KV Prasad Journo follow politics, process in Parliament and US Congress. Former Congressional APSA-Fulbright Fellow

Jio cements market lead, adds 34.5 lakh mobile subscribers in November: TRAI data

KV Prasad Jun 13, 2022, 06:35 AM IST (Published)

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Reliance Jio moved to a higher gear adding 34.5 lakh mobile subscribers in November, improving on its October gains, as rival Bharti Airtel garnered about 17.5 lakh new wireless users, according to the Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI) data released on Monday, January 29.

Vodafone Idea, however, slipped further, losing 10.7 lakh subscribers in November, the monthly subscriber data by the TRAI showed. The ailing telco’s wireless subscriber base shrank to 22.44 crore in November.

Reliance Jio’s addition of 34.47 lakh mobile subscribers pushed up its wireless subscriber tally to 45.58 crore as on November.

Mobile subscribers added by the country’s largest telecom services provider Jio in November were higher than its user gains in October (about 31.6 lakh).

After garnering mobile subscriber additions of 17.47 lakh, the subscriber count of Bharti Airtel in the wireless category stood at 37.98 crore.

Also Read: Former Railway Board CEO Anil Kumar Lahoti appointed TRAI chairperson

Elon Musk forms several ‘X Holdings’ companies to fund potential Twitter buyout

3 Mins Read

Thursday’s filing dispelled some doubts, though Musk still has work to do. He and his advisers will spend the coming days vetting potential investors for the equity portion of his offer, according to people familiar with the matter

KV Prasad Journo follow politics, process in Parliament and US Congress. Former Congressional APSA-Fulbright Fellow

Reliance Jio adds 11.2 million subscribers, the most in 10 quarters

KV Prasad Jun 13, 2022, 06:35 AM IST (Published)

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Reliance Industries’ telecom division Reliance Jio Infocomm added 11.2 million customers, more than anytime in the last ten quarters.

The 3% growth in profit, at ₹5,208 crore for the October to December 2023 quarter, was slightly higher than the CNBC-TV18 poll profit projection of ₹5,150 crore.

The firm registered a profit of ₹5,058 crore in the July to September 2023 quarter.

The telco’s revenue rose to ₹25,368 crore for the third quarter of the financial year, as compared to ₹24,750 crore in the preceding quarter. The revenue is largely in line with the poll estimate of ₹25,360 crore.

Jio’s earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation, and amortisation (EBITDA), a measure of profitability, rose to ₹13,277 crore in the last three months of 2023, from ₹12,953 crore a year earlier. The EBITDA is a little lower than the poll forecast of ₹ 13,450 crore.

The EBITDA margin, meanwhile, was flat at 52.3%.

Reliance Jio’s net customer addition exceeds the CNBC-TV18 poll expectation of 10 million, and the total customer base now stands at 470.9 million.

Mukesh D. Ambani, Chairman and Managing Director, Reliance Industries said, “Jio has completed in India the fastest rollout of True 5G. services anywhere in the world. Every city, town, and village in the country is now equipped with high-speed digital connectivity…The strong uptake of the JioBharat phone and JioAirFiber services has resulted in continued expansion of Jio’s subscriber base.”

Also Read | Reliance Industries Q3 Results: Record EBITDA for Oil & Gas, Retail revenue crosses ₹80,000 crore

The average revenue per user (ARPU) increased to ₹181.7, 2% more than the same quarter last year but unchanged compared to the immediately preceding three months.

This comes with a better subscriber mix partially offset by unlimited data allowance on 5G network, Reliance said in its statement on Q3 results.

Market expert Prakash Diwan, explains that Jio numbers show that close to 15% plus of the overall revenue is coming from 5G which has yet not been priced as per market. “So there’s enough room for a ARPU hike, price hike which could lead to some improvement in ARPUs, which has not yet happened. It could probably be in the second half, but then that’s more driven by competitive pressures.”

Also Read: Reliance Retail clocks nearly $10 billion revenue in one quarter

Elon Musk forms several ‘X Holdings’ companies to fund potential Twitter buyout

3 Mins Read

Thursday’s filing dispelled some doubts, though Musk still has work to do. He and his advisers will spend the coming days vetting potential investors for the equity portion of his offer, according to people familiar with the matter

KV Prasad Journo follow politics, process in Parliament and US Congress. Former Congressional APSA-Fulbright Fellow

Reliance Jio Q3 results preview: 10 mn subscribers addition to drive growth in Dec quarter, say analysts

KV Prasad Jun 13, 2022, 06:35 AM IST (Published)

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Reliance Industries is all set to report its quarterly earnings for the October to December 2023 period on January 19 with its telecom division Reliance Jio Infocomm expected to deliver a stable quarter. Analysts polled by CNBC-TV18 suggest that the telco’s revenue growth will be driven by a 10 million subscriber addition and a moderate increase in average revenue per user (ARPU).

The data released by the Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI) for October 2023 shows Jio added 3.1 million subscribers during the month. Following this, the CNBC-TV18 poll of analysts expects the firm would have expanded its subscriber base by 10 million during the third quarter of the 2023-24 fiscal.

If the numbers are in line with estimates, Jio would have a total of 470 million subscribers at the end of the quarter ending December 2023 as against 459.7 million in the preceding quarter.

Meanwhile, each Jio user is expected to have spent an additional ₹1.3 on average in the quarter gone by as analysts see ARPU for the period under review at ₹183 versus ₹181.7 in the September ended quarter, analysts said. They also pointed out that the ARPU increase has been modest for the industry.

As per the CNBC-TV18 poll, Jio will see a 2.5% sequential growth in its revenue at ₹ 25,360 crore from ₹ 24,750 crore in the previous quarter. The profit after tax (PAT) is likely to go up 1.8% at ₹ 5,150 crore compared to ₹ 5,058 crore in the second quarter.

The earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation, and amortisation (EBITDA), analysts believe will come in at ₹ 13,450 crore for the December quarter, up from ₹ 12,953 crore in the last quarter. The poll projects a margin rise in EBITDA percent at 53% from 52.3% earlier.

Among the other factors, analysts expect the Street to track 5G rollout and adoption. As of the second quarter, Jio’s 5G data traffic accounted for more than 15% of overall data traffic. The rollout of Jio AirFibre and the hike in 4G prepaid tariff will also be key to watch, analysts said.

Also Read: Reliance Jio launches prepaid plan bundled with Swiggy One Lite subscription — check all details

Elon Musk forms several ‘X Holdings’ companies to fund potential Twitter buyout

3 Mins Read

Thursday’s filing dispelled some doubts, though Musk still has work to do. He and his advisers will spend the coming days vetting potential investors for the equity portion of his offer, according to people familiar with the matter

KV Prasad Journo follow politics, process in Parliament and US Congress. Former Congressional APSA-Fulbright Fellow

Reliance JioCinema signs up Pokemon in kids entertainment push: Reuters report

KV Prasad Jun 13, 2022, 06:35 AM IST (Published)

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The entertainment unit of Reliance has signed a deal with The Pokemon Company to show children’s shows and movies on its platform, two people with knowledge of the deal said, its latest bid to boost content amid a domestic rivalry with the Walt Disney Co and other streaming services.

The deal, signed this month, will make JioCinema’s streaming app the “exclusive” India platform partner for more than 1,000 episodes and around 20 movies of the Japanese anime series, one of the sources said, without disclosing any financial details.

The shows and movies will be dubbed into three Indian languages to broaden their appeal, the source added. Pokemon has spawned a global multi-billion dollar media franchise spanning trading cards, games, TV shows and movies.

Viacom18, Indian billionaire Mukesh Ambani’s entertainment joint-venture that runs JioCinema, and The Pokemon Company, owned by video game company Nintendo and affiliates, did not respond to a request for comment.

Also Read: Jio’s 4G ‘keypad smartphone’ goes on sale for ₹2,599

Adding child-focused content is Ambani’s latest push to expand in the Indian streaming market which research firm Media Partners Asia estimates will be worth $7 billion by 2027.

Netflix and Amazon are among JioCinema’s competitors, but Ambani has most recently taken on Disney’s Hotstar app, with both offering free streaming of cricket matches.

In total, JioCinema will add around 3,000 hours of children’s content, including movies and shows from Entertainment One, Animaccord, Cartoon Network Studios and DreamWorks, the sources said.

Those additions will come through Viacom18’s existing content deals, or integration with its other streaming app, Voot Kids, which has shut, they added. Some Pokemon content was earlier on Voot, but the new JioCinema deal is a “much larger partnership”, one of the sources said.

Also Read: Reliance Jio launches prepaid plan bundled with Swiggy One Lite subscription — check all details

NBCUniversal told Reuters that “kids and family programming”, including DreamWorks content, was part of a multi-year partnership with JioCinema announced in May. Entertainment One, Animaccord, Cartoon Network Studios did not respond to requests for comment.

In April, Viacom18 struck a deal with Warner Bros Discovery Inc. to include more Hollywood and international content on JioCinema, including hit series “Succession” and “Game of Thrones”.

Elon Musk forms several ‘X Holdings’ companies to fund potential Twitter buyout

3 Mins Read

Thursday’s filing dispelled some doubts, though Musk still has work to do. He and his advisers will spend the coming days vetting potential investors for the equity portion of his offer, according to people familiar with the matter

KV Prasad Journo follow politics, process in Parliament and US Congress. Former Congressional APSA-Fulbright Fellow