Reliance Jio noted that the large scale adoption of its 5G offering has been driven by the company’s own, end-to-end 5G stack
In sum – what to know:
Jio hits 213M 5G users – India’s Reliance Jio added 43 million 5G subscribers in six months, ending June with 213 million 5G users, up from 170 million at the end of 2024.
JioAirFiber becomes top global FWA player – Jio’s fixed wireless access (FWA) service now leads globally with nearly 7.4 million subscribers, while its fixed broadband footprint crossed 20 million premises.
India’s 5G stack goes global – Jio’s in-house, cloud-native 5G core underpins rapid adoption and is now ready for export to international markets, driving India’s AI and digital ecosystem growth.
Indian carrier Reliance Jio Infocomm ended June with 213 million 5G subscribers, according to the quarterly report issued by Reliance Industries, Jio’s parent company.
The telco had ended last year with a total of 170 million subscribers in the 5G field.
The company had previously stated that 5G accounted for 40% of its wireless traffic as of the end of last year.
The telco noted that large scale adoption of its 5G offering has been driven by Jio’s own, end-to-end 5G stack with cloud native core network, which is ready to be taken to global markets.
During the second quarter, Jio reached the milestone of over 20 million connected premises with fixed broadband. Also, JioAirFiber is now the largest FWA service globally with a subscriber base of nearly 7.4 million, the company said.
Akash Ambani, chairman of Reliance Jio Infocomm, said: “We have delivered a milestone quarter at Jio with our 5G and home subscriber base crossing the 200 million and 20 million marks respectively. Jio continues to bring next generation services for its users with the launch of JioGames Cloud and JioPC bundle at affordable prices to drive adoption of digital services in India. Jio continues to create unparalleled technology infrastructure and is extending its leadership in 5G and fixed broadband. This will be pivotal in driving AI adoption in the country.”
Reliance Jio Platforms has reportedly delayed its highly anticipated initial public offering (IPO) beyond 2025. According to a recent Reuters report, the company plans to wait until it boosts revenue and user growth.
Analysts value Jio Platforms at more than $100 billion. The delay comes as the company, led by Indian billionaire Mukesh Ambani, seeks to expand its telecom subscriber base and further expand its broader portfolio of digital services — including apps, connected devices and AI-based business solutions — before going public.
Jio Platforms is a digital services holding company and a subsidiary of Reliance Industries Limited (RIL). It owns and operates multiple digital businesses, with local telecommunications services firm Reliance Jio Infocomm being the largest and most well-known among them. Currently, about 80% of Jio Platforms’ $17.6 billion in annual revenue comes from its telecom arm.
In October last year, Reliance Jio Infocomm said it was taking a more measured approach to its 5G network expansion due to low capacity utilization and the delayed monetization of the technology. As a result, the Indian carrier is shifting its focus towards upgrading its existing 4G users to the more expensive 5G services, according to previous reports.
The current utilization of the telco’s 5G network stands at around 15%, according to sources familiar with Jio’s equipment suppliers. However, sources at Reliance Jio Infocomm had claimed that actual 5G usage is more than double that amount. Jio’s 5G infrastructure is supported by equipment from Nordic vendors Nokia and Ericsson.
Meanwhile, a Jio spokesperson said that the company’s future investments in the 5G field will be determined by demand. Industry analysts anticipate that Jio’s next phase of 5G expansion will likely occur once competition from rival operator Bharti Airtel intensifies.
