What is JioAirFiber and how does it work?

Reliance Jio chairman Akash Ambani has rolled out JioAirfiber Home Gateway, a wireless plug-and-play single device wifi hotspot that will allow consumers to access fiber-like, ultra-high-speed internet at homes and offices.
With JioAirFiber, it will be easy to connect any home or office to Gigabit-speed Internet, Ambani said during the company’s 45th annual general meeting on Monday.

He said, “With the 5G services being rolled out in India, the current 800 million connected internet devices will double to 1.5 billion connected internet devices in just a year”.

Let’s take a look at what JioAirFiber is, how it will work, and whether there are other players in the market offering similar products.

What is AirFiber?
AirFiber works on radio-based solutions and is wireless. AirFiber uses fixed broadband technology to deliver the same high speeds and service as traditional broadband providers but delivered wirelessly as opposed to through buried cables.

AirFiber also has the bandwidth to connect hundreds of homes and offices to ultra-high-speed broadband within a short time period.

How are JioFiber Connection and Jio AirFiber different?
Jio Fiber is a fiber-to-the-home (FTTH) internet broadband service provided by telecom operator Reliance Jio Infocomm was first announced as Jio GigaFiber in 2018 at the Reliance Industries 41st annual general meeting.

The FTTH broadband service promises a speed of up to 1 Gigabit per second. Besides, it would be the core technology enabler behind the GigaTV platform and the company’s products in the internet of things (IoT) ecosystem.

JioAirFiber, on the other hand, offers speed similar to JioFiber broadband connection, however, unlocks engaging experiences, such as interactive live content, cloud gaming, immersive shopping and more. JioAirFiber also has the potential to connect hundreds of homes and offices at the same time.

How does it work?
For any AirFibers, a small antenna is placed on one’s building that receives a direct signal from one of Reliance’s towers nearby. The connection from one’s location and the tower allows for fast reliable service via a fixed wireless connection. This prevents interrupted data which is common with cellular or wired internet connections.

Jio in fact demonstrated one of AirFiber’s capabilities, where users will be able to watch a live IPL match with multiple camera angles in ultra HD at the same time. Users can also dynamically switch between the camera angles. AirFiber also lets users enjoy multiplayer cloud gaming or host a watch party with their friends, courtesy of its ultra-low latency.

What is JioCloud PC?
Jio has also launched a new JioCloud PC, which is a thin device with a pay-for-what-you-use model. Consumers can get the Jio virtual PC with no upfront investments or upgrades. The company stated that Jio True 5G and its other services will be useful for various industries and sectors, such as agriculture, healthcare and education.

“With no upfront investment or tension of periodical upgrading, a user needs to pay only to the extent used, resulting in a super-affordable way to bring the power of a PC, even multiple PCs, to every Indian home and business,” Ambani said during the launch.

What about other players in the market?
In 2020, Government-owned Bharat Sanchar Nigam Limited also introduced AirFiber, Bharat Air Fiber Services through local business partners as part of the Digital India initiatives. BSNL lauched with an aim of providing wireless connectivity in the range of 20KMs from BSNL locations, which will benefit citizens residing in remote areas.

After BSNL, Jio is the only company to have brought the AirFiber features to India. Moneycontrol