Signal strength: Reliance Jio wages price war in fixed-line broadband

The growth of the home broadband market in India has been constrained by the fact that only 10 per cent of the households are connected by fibre

Reliance Jio has taken a disruptive call in the fixed broadband space by offering an entry-level unlimited 10 mbps home broadband service for just Rs 198 a month, slashing their earlier entry price of Rs 399 (for 30 mbps). Analysts say that the offer will lead to a price war with rival Bharti Airtel whose minimum pack currently is Rs 499. Bharti is expected to respond to Jio’s gambit soon.

Clearly, Jio plans to use the low-priced entry offer as a “back up plan” to expand the country’s home broadband market, which is limited to only 27.5 million homes at