Reliance Jio is offering free 10Mbps wired broadband across the country amidst the coronavirus lockdown. The offer is part of the company’s #CoronaHaregaIndiaJeetega (Coronavirus will lose, India will Win) initiative that it says will ensure uninterrupted connectivity for millions of people working from home during the pandemic. Do note that while the service charges are being waived off on the basic plan, users will still have to buy the router and pay a refundable deposit of Rs. 1,500 to get the connection.
The ‘free’ offer is only available on the new 10Mbps JioFiber broadband plan for new subscribers, while existing users with faster plans are being offered double-data benefits. The company currently offers six broadband plans, starting at Rs. 699 per month for a 100Mpbs connection capped at 150GB FUP, going all the way up to Rs. 8,499 for the Gigabit plan with 500GB of data. It’s not immediately clear as to how long the offer will be available, but the company’s press release suggests that it will likely depend on how long the lockdown lasts.
In a press statement announcing the new scheme, Reliance Jio said: “To ensure that everyone stays connected while at home, Jio will provide basic JioFiber broadband connectivity (10Mbps), wherever it is geographically feasible, without any service charges, for this period … Jio is ensuring that its mobility services are up and running at all times with the deployment of essential teams on rotation round the clock across the country”.
Meanwhile, Jio this month also started offering double data benefits with its 4G data vouchers after increasing its tariffs at least three times in quick succession over the past few months. The company last week also rebranded its Jio Cricket pack to Work from Home pack, although, it still offers the same 2GB daily high-speed data for 51 days without any off-net calling benefits.
