Reliance Jio offers free broadband, double data amid Covid-19 lockdown

Reliance Jio will offer basic JioFibre broadband service to new customers and doubled data limit for all its existing customers to support work from home in fight against coronavirus. The company announced the plans on Monday through its #CoronaHaaregaIndiaJeetega initiative.

Jio has also doubled data limits for top-up voucher and bundle-free calling minutes to non-Jio networks in these vouchers.

"To ensure that everyone stays connected while at home, Jio will provide Basic JioFiber broadband connectivity (10 Mbps), wherever it is geographically feasible, without any service charges, for this (coronavirus) period," Reliance Industries said in a statement. The company will also provide home gateway routers with a minimum refundable deposit.

JioFibre broadband customers are required to pay Rs 2,500 at the time of installation. Of which, Rs 1,500 is refundable at the time of surrendering the connection.

The company has started offering double data across its 4G data add-on vouchers which will also bundle non-Jio voice calling minutes in these vouchers at no additional costs.

"As its ongoing commitment, 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," the statement said.

However, state-owned telecom companies BSNL and MTNL took lead last week to announce free broadband plans and additional data for their customers to support work from home. The government had earlier instructed the private companies to let their employees avail WFH, amid growing concerns over coronavirus spread as India records 433 positive cases and 8 deaths.