NEW DELHI: Ahead of 5G rollout, India’s largest telecom operator Reliance Jio has completed a 5G coverage strategy for top 1,000 cities, with 100% indigenous technology. The company in its annual report said Jio has also developed several use cases for 5G in industries like healthcare and industrial automation. Jio also entered into a strategic partnership with Google for its Cloud Solutions to power the 5G experience of Indian enterprises as well as consumers.
“Jio joined hands with the University of Oulu in Finland – the leader of the world’s first major 6G research programme – to accelerate research and standardisation in 6G – the futuristic next-generation of telecom technology after 5G,” said the company in its annual report. Reliance’s telecom arm Jio was the most aggressive bidder in the recently-concluded 5G spectrum auction.
The company spent Rs 88, 078 crore to acquire spectrum in the 700MHz, 800MHz, 1800MHz, 3300MHz and 26GHz bands in all 22 circles. It is the only telco to buy pricey and coveted 700 MHz spectrum, which can provide 6-10 kilometres of signal range with one tower, and forms a good base for offering fifth generation (5G) services in all 22 circles or zones in the country.
In the energy sector, the company said it will develop end-toend green energy solutions, which will make clean and abundant energy available to everyone at the most affordable price. “Just as India has the world’s most affordable wireless broadband today, we will have the world’s most affordable green energy within this decade. And these solutions will then be exported to other countries, helping them contain carbon emissions,” said the company.
To kickstart the initiative, last year Reliance announced a $10 billion capex commitment over three years. The conglomerate aims to be net carbon zero by 2035. The total renewable energy consumption increased by 351% year-onyear in FY2021-22. Reliance also achieved a 16% reduction in flaring at E&P and O2C sites compared to FY 2020-21.
Meanwhile, Reliance Retail has invested nearly Rs 30,000 crore in its business and added 2,500 new stores in FY 2021-2022, taking the total store count to 15,196. The retail giant has also added over 1,50,000 jobs to the economy, taking the employee base to 3,61,000, RIL said in the annual report. During the year Reliance Retail strengthened its sourcing ecosystem working closely with producers, MSMEs, service providers, local and global brands, the company said.