Jio GigaFiber is due to roll out commercially this year, and ahead of that time, we have a low-down for you on how you can avail the broadband service under its preview offer. To recall, Jio GigaFiber was announced in August last year and since then, there have been a lot of questions among consumers, including when they can start using the service or when it will be available in their area. There is finally some good news as the company is slowly ramping up the Jio GigaFiber rollout in select areas in cities around the country. Reliance Jio is still not calling it a commercial rollout and the consumers are still being provided the Jio GigaFiber service under the preview offer, which has been live for some time now. A number of users, including several Reliance employees, have been using the Jio GigaFiber service under the preview offer for months.

There have been several reports claiming to reveal the details of Reliance Jio GigaFiber service, but the company was silent until now. It has recently published some frequently asked questions (FAQS) on its website, which detail some aspects of its service, including security deposit details as well as the prepaid plan.

We, at Gadgets 360, managed to get ourselves a Jio GigaFiber connection under the ongoing preview offer. Thanks to our experience in getting the connection as well as our brief time with the service, we have put together this explainer to help you get a Jio GigaFiber connection under the ongoing preview offer.

Jio GigaFiber installation process explained

As of now, unlike other Internet service providers (ISPs), you can't just approach Reliance Jio and submit an application for a new connection. The company is asking interested consumers to register their interest in the service on its website or via MyJio app, and once it is ready for the commercial rollout in your area, the company will get back to you with the connection details.

However, anecdotal evidence suggests that the company executives have already started making rounds of areas where the company's fibre infrastructure is already in place, to find potential Jio GigaFiber customers. You can approach these executives if you manage to spot them or if you get hold a promotional pamphlet with an executive's details, you can directly call them to get a new Jio GigaFiber connection.

All the new connections currently being offered by the company are under the preview offer as the company has not officially detailed the Jio GigaFiber plans. It is expected that the company will announce the commercial rollout in the coming months and most likely reveal the plans at the same time.

Jio GigaFiber installation plans and price

As per part of the Jio GigaFiber preview offer, the company is asking for Rs. 4,500 as the security deposit. It claims that the security deposit is meant for the optical network terminal (ONT) – Gigahub Home Gateway. There are no charges for the activation, deactivation, or installation of the service. If a consumer is not satisfied with the service for any reason, they can get the GigaFiber disconnected and the security deposit will be refunded. It, however, can take up to 45 days for the company to process the refund.

Jio notes that the service is completely free for the first three months in the preview offer. The customers will be given 100GB of data every month at the speed of up to 100Mbps. If a consumer manages to use the complete 100GB of data, there are free 40GB top-ups available on Jio website as well as the MyJio app.

According to the company, Jio GigaFiber is currently just a prepaid service, but there are plans to offer a postpaid option as well in the future. Jio, however, hasn't shared a fixed time-frame for a postpaid rollout.

How to get a Jio GigaFiber connection right now

In simple terms, here's how to go about getting a Jio GigaFiber connection:

The Jio representatives are making rounds of areas where Jio GigaFiber infrastructure is already in place and if you meet any such representatives, you can ask them to get a new connection. These company executives seem to be the only way to get a GigaFiber connection until the company officially starts the commercial rollout. You will need to pay Rs. 4,500 for the new GigaFiber connection. This is a refundable security deposit and needs to be paid through debit card, credit card, Jio Money, or Paytm. The representative will also ask for address documentation as well as a passport-size photograph. As soon as you deposit the security amount, the company will send you a text message for the new connection. After a couple of days, you will receive details of hardware installation. You can decide when you want the installation executive to visit your home. On a scheduled time, the company technicians will visit your home for the installation and setup the necessary wiring as well as Gigahub Home Gateway. As soon as your service is activated, you can start using Jio GigaFiber Internet.

Jio GigaTV and Smart Home solutions that Reliance had shown at its annual general meeting last year are still not available, even as a preview, to consumers. Hopefully, the commercial launch of GigaFiber will bring them as well.

What else would you like to know about Jio GigaFiber? Let us know via the comments and we will answer your questions via future stories.

Will Jio GigaFiber have the same impact that Jio 4G did? We discussed this on Orbital, our weekly technology podcast, which you can subscribe to via Apple Podcasts or RSS, download the episode, or just hit the play button below.

Affiliate links may be automatically generated - see our ethics statement for details.