IDFC Securities has shared a report comparing the performance of 4G services from Reliance Jio Infocomm and Bharti Airtel, and other telecom operators in Mumbai city.
The report follows its tests on 4G networks conducted across Mumbai involving several telecom network operators.
IDFC Securities extensively tested the Reliance Jio Infocomm’s network across a stretch of 225 km, covering the length and breadth of Mumbai, at stationary conditions in residential and commercial complexes and while travelling at 60-80 kmph.
The 4G services from Reliance Jio is impressive but for some resolvable initial issues, said IDFC Securities.
The Reliance Jio network fared much better than peers most of the times, while the Airtel 4G network came very close in terms of availability and data throughput. “We concede that relatively under-utilized network could have resulted in a good network experience,” the report said.
What differentiated Reliance Jio from its peers was its approach of offering the full bouquet of communications and entertainment services — and felt incumbents like Bharti Airtel, with its DTH business, may have missed the first-mover advantage.
IDFC Securities said Jio Play was the fulcrum of content offerings, allowing a user to watch over 300 TV channels live.
Reliance Jio beats for music, Jio On Demand for movies, Jio Xpress for news, Jio Mags for views, Jio Money as prepaid wallet and Jio Join for voice calls, which will be billed as data, to be useful applications.
Apart from initial teething issues in activating the SIM, the overall experience of using the Reliance Jio connection was far superior to incumbents’ services.
Seamless coverage along the highways, voice call clarity, above-par experience of entertainment applications — especially Jio Play — and faster data speeds were the key highlights.
There is scope for improvement in in-building coverage (lift shafts, basements, shopping malls). “During our testing, we observed that Airtel 4G network was perhaps the closest to offering a similar experience,” said IDFC Securities.
IDFC Securities said the 4G adoption rate in India would be faster than 3G as the device ecosystem and network availability are maturing rapidly. Online video content would be the key growth driver, benefitting content owners.
Reliance Jio Infocomm is gearing up to offer a complete communication services bouquet on an all-IP network which could disrupt the marketplace. Jio will have innovative pricing strategies to grab higher revenues.
