Reliance launches JioTV+ for integrated OTT content, Ambani shares 5G vision for India
Reliance has launched JioTV+ that will aggregate content from top OTT apps. The company also shared its vision on the 5G rollout.
At its 43rd AGM, Reliance rolled out JioTV+, an integrated OTT service that will aggregate content from over 12 video-streaming platforms like , Prime Video, Disney+ Hotstar, YouTube, JioCinema, ZEE5, Eros Now, and more.
JioTV+ will be available to JioFiber users through the Jio Set-Top-Box, and allow them to escape the hassle of multiple log-ins. Instead, they will be able to enjoy a wide variety of content through a single-access log-in.
Reliance Jio Director Akash Ambani launching Jio TV+
To ease the discovery of content, JioTV+ will support voice-based search in regional languages. It will let users search for contextual content based on actors, directors, genres, producers, themes, and moods.
JioTV+ will also include hundreds of satellite TV channels, and engage users in interactive ways like live voting in reality shows, participation in news debates, and so on. People from all parts of India can vote, and the results will be displayed on the screen in real-time.
Announcing the launch, Reliance Jio Director Akash Ambani said,
"For decades, TV content has been largely broadcast-dependent without any interactivity. With JioFiber, we have reimagined this experience and brought interactivity to TV. We believe that two-way communication is the future of TV consumption."
Additionally, the Jio set-top-box comes with a dedicated Jio App Store that offers an array of content in genres like entertainment, learning, health, yoga, religion, news, travel and lifestyle, and more. Reliance also called app developers to participate in the Jio Developers Programme to build more services for Indian users.
The JioFiber broadband network has connected a million Indian homes so far.
Jio 5G and Jio Glass
Even as Jio scales up its 4G user base, the network is embarking on a mission to not only make India 5G-ready, but also be a leading exporter of 5G technology in the world.
Reliance Chairman Mukesh Ambani told shareholders at the AGM,
"Jio has designed and developed a complete 5G solution from scratch. This will enable us to launch a world-class 5G service in India using 100 percent homegrown technologies and solutions. This Made in India 5G solution will be ready for trials as soon as 5G spectrum is available, and can be ready for field deployment next year. And because of Jio's converged, all-IP network architecture, we can easily upgrade our 4G network to 5G."
Powering RIL's 5G vision is chipmaking giant , which invested Rs 730 crore in Jio Platforms through its venture arm, Qualcomm Ventures.
"Once Jio's 5G solution is proven at India-scale, we would be well-positioned to be an exporter of 5G solutions to other telecom operators globally, as a complete managed service," Ambani added.
Jio Glass being launched at Reliance's 43rd AGM.
At the AGM, Reliance also launched its new hardware product Jio Glass.
Jio Glass is a mixed reality headset with wireless support and 3D holographic video calling features. It can be used in remote conferencing, online education, AI-based healthcare, and gaming. Users can also connect to calls through voice commands.
Jio Glass weighs 75 grams and can support 25 mixed reality applications. Users have the option to create their virtual 3D avatars and engage in interactions, discussions, presentations, screen-sharing, and more in a holographic environment.
Reliance believes that Jio Glass will play a critical role in transforming online education, which is witnessing unprecedented growth in the pandemic.
Kiran Kumar Das, Assistant Vice President at Reliance Jio, said, "It will make teachers and students come together in 3D classrooms. With Jio Glass, the traditional way of learning geography will be history; students can get transported to actual locations like the Taj Mahal or the Colosseum while reading about them."
Edited by Saheli Sen Gupta