Reliance Jio: Jee bhar ke Jio!

India's digital journey began late; but by playing leapfrog, the country has managed to catch up with, and in some cases overtake, the early movers. In mobile communications, India has always been a generation behind, in GSM technology. Now, it looks like we have jumped the queue and millions are already enjoying the zippy delights of the fastest connection technology available anywhere.

When 3G or 3rd generation mobile technology, became 4G, it promoted data over voice. The latest avatar of 4G technology is 4G VoLTE (Voice over Long Term Evolution, another name for 4th generation mobile communication), which carries voice traffic in the form of data. A shrewd operator can charge for data usage alone and throw in voice for free.

This is what Reliance Jio is doing. And in the process it has pushed India into the front of the class, mobile technology-wise. By setting a high, but affordable threshold, Jio has motivated millions of subscribers to embrace a swift new tool with possibilities for digital empowerment, limited only by one's imagination.

After numerous teething troubles mainly with regard to Jio's voice calls landing on other networks, the service which is in its free trial period till December 31 2016, seems to have settled down in most parts of the country. But while talking on your phone is important, it is only one of many things you can do on a handset with a 4G VoLTE connection. Together, they make a Jio connection more than just a mobile telecom service, into a combo that can drive an entire digital lifestyle.

I say this with confidence, after trying out the Jio service on a Reliance LYF handset for a month now, in three different metros. And last week I was able to visit the Jio Experience Centre that Reliance has set up in its HQ in Navi Mumbai to learn what a Jio service could offer in the future.

Jio will only work with a handset that is 4G VoLTE-enabled. You can check at the Jio.com site for list of compatible phones. Because VoLTE sends voice as a digital packet it is able to ensure crystal clear quality. Jio has incorporated active noise cancelling -- electronic processing that cancels out the surrounding noise. This technology is normally found in high end headphones and was pioneered by the late Dr Amar Bose of Bose audio fame.

The My Jio app store has dozens of tools to enhance the basic experience — like Rich Communication Services. This allows you to convert any call you are making into a video call. Of course, the called party also needs to install the RCS app. The app also allows you to attach a map with your current location and send it to the called person, even as you speak... a seamless mix of voice and image that experts say, will soon replace SMS

Another useful app (currently only for Android) is Jio4G Voice. if you have one 4G VoLTE phone you can use it to access 4G speeds and services on any other 2G or 2G phone. In essence the second phone rides piggy back on the 4G phone.

Even without a 4G phone, you can experience Jio 4G services by another route. You need to buy JioFi, a small palm-sized device and insert a Jio data SIM. This creates a Wi-Fi hotspot and you can now enjoy Video calls, HD Voice calls and even Video conferencing facility at 4G speeds on multiple devices like laptops, tablets, 2G or 3G phones. The latest version of JioFi which costs Rs 1,999, serve up to 31 devices within WiFi range, for Rs 1,999.

Movies and TV are the lifeblood for many Indians and Jio caters to this with apps like Jio Tv and Jio Cinema where you can access hundreds of movies and serials in Hindi, Marathi, English, Tamil, Kannada, Telugu, Bengali, Gujarati and Punjabi – in full HD. Right now, this is free. In 2017, this will involve a subscription, though one can expect the price to be disruptive if it is to compete with so much free stuff already out there.

Government has already made mobile payments very easy. Jio has its own Jio Money wallet and it has taken the app in a new direction: Soon you will be able to use it as a smart ticket card in major metro rail systems in India.

There are some interesting services planned for the near future. I saw a Jio SIM fuel a tiny device that plugs into the Onboard Diagnostic Port (ODB) of a car and turns it into a smart car – you can disable the car, if it is stolen, feed entertainment to the back seat occupants, navigate turn by turn… The same Jio SIM was shown turning any TV into a smart Internet TV. It sets up a home automation system and control entry through your front door. Remember the catch phrase coined by Dhirubhai Ambani: Roti, kapda, makaan aur mobile? After 14 years it has taken on a new meaning.

— IndiaTechOnline