Jio Fibre, which came to Kashmir in Sept ’19, now market leader as 4G returns

Jio Fibre, which came to Kashmir in Sept ’19, now market leader as 4G returns

Srinagar: Now when the Government of India (GoI) has restored 4G mobile internet in Jammu and Kashmir after 19 months, Mukesh Ambani’s Jio Telecom has emerged as the market leader in broadband services, having made the most of the restricted internet speed all these months.
This is not hearsay but data compiled by the Telecom Regulatory Authority of India, the central government’s telecom regulatory body. According to the TRAI data, between the time mobile internet was restricted to limited speed to the time it was restored to 4G speed, about 70,000 new broadband subscribers were installed in J&K.
Out of this, Jio’s share is close to 58,000 which has risen from the 4,000 when it started operations. Interestingly, the company started its Jio fibre operations in September 2019, a month after the ban on mobile internet was put.
Jio was also making inroads in Kashmir by bypassing many government laws. Srinagar Municipal Corporation has not given no objection certificate to the company for erection of towers, an official of the municipal body told Kashmir Reader. He said that many towers had no approval and yet were allowed to be erected.
Jio’s main competitor, the government-owned BSNL, is gasping for life and has lost many of its broadband subscribers during the same time. From close to 115000 subscribers, the numbers are now in mid 90000.
So, how is this happening? Not exactly from single internet connection in one household but from multiple connections installed at many places. In most of the business places which are driven by the internet, Jio fibre as well as BSNL broadband services have been installed at the same time.
Take example of Aqaf, a tax consultant, in Srinagar. He has to file GST returns every month. A suspension of internet means no work done. During the low speed internet days, he had moved to New Delhi to file returns, and sometimes to Banihal, an area where the internet was restored initially in Jammu and Kashmir. Today, beside mobile, he has BSNL broadband at office and JIO fiber at his home.
“It means extra costs, but we have to pay it, Don’t know when the internet can go back,” he added.

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