Speaking at the IPO press conference, Akash Ambani outlined plans to take Jio’s in-house network technology overseas, expand its fixed wireless broadband and move toward 6G through software upgrades, while courting telecom operators worldwide.
Reliance Jio is preparing to take its network technology business beyond India while building faster broadband solutions for homes. At the company’s IPO press conference, Akash Ambani laid out how Jio’s in-house technology, fixed wireless broadband and overseas partnerships could drive its next phase of growth.
The company is also looking ahead to next-generation connectivity, with plans to move toward 6G through software upgrades. Together, the plans point to a strategy built on owning its network capabilities, widening broadband access and finding new business with telecom operators in global markets.
Home broadband built on in-house technology
Ambani said Jio developed its own technology using the 5G unlicensed band, also known as the Wi-Fi band, to extend fixed wireless broadband. The company calls the technology UBR. Around 6.5 million customers were using it at the time of the conference, and it accounted for 40 per cent of Jio’s new additions.
The next generation of the technology, showcased earlier this year, is designed to deliver download speeds of up to 5Gbps and upload speeds of up to 1Gbps. These are stated design capabilities, not confirmation that customers can get such speeds today.
Jio also wants to bring broadband, television and digital applications together into a single home experience, which Ambani described as a major growth opportunity.
6G through software upgrades
Jio’s ambitions go beyond faster broadband. The company aims to introduce 6G largely through software upgrades rather than depending entirely on new physical infrastructure, an approach that relies on software to expand what networks can do as the industry readies for the next generation of mobile connectivity.
That should not be read as a promise that a full 6G transition will need no new equipment. How far existing infrastructure can support future networks will depend on the capabilities of current hardware and the technical requirements of commercial 6G standards.
Taking the technology stack abroad
Ambani said Jio plans to partner with telecom operators worldwide by offering its end-to-end technology stack as a managed service, rather than acting merely as a vendor or software-services provider.
He said the company has filed more than 7,220 patents and has over 12,000 engineers. Its technology covers autonomous networks, home platforms, devices, operating systems and digital applications.
Jio will choose international partners according to market opportunities, aiming to generate business growth and earn revenue from its technology. It sees potential in both developed and developing markets, drawing on its experience of deploying and running the technology at scale in India.
