A $12 phone is opening doors for rural India to get on the internet
Summary
The telecommunications arm of Indian conglomerate Reliance Industries , has opened the door for more people to gain access to the internet through the launch of its new internet-enabled phone with a 4G mobile network. "There are still 250 million mobile phone users in India who remain trapped in the 2G era, unable to tap into basic features of the internet at a time when the world stands at the cusp of a 5G revolution," Reliance Jios Chairman Akash Ambani said in a press release. "With a familiar form factor and internet connectivity, this device can help users experience key services like digital payments, content, and more for the first time through Jios ecosystem," Mishra told CNBC. This is Jios tactic to attract more feature phone users to sign a plan with them even though they only offer 4G and 5G mobile network services, according to Navkendar Singh of the International Data Corporation (IDC). According to data from Macquarie Research, Jio currently has the biggest subscriber market share in Delhi (34%), Mumbai (35%), and Kolkata (42%), compared to Vodafone Idea, Bharti Airtel and BSNL.