Archive · 5 Sep 2026
Jio Marks Ten Years of Transforming India’s Digital Connectivity
Jio started offering mobile services in India in September 2016.
At that time, mobile data was expensive and many people used very little of it.
Jio offered high-speed data at much lower prices.
This helped more people use videos, updates, streaming, and other online services on their phones.
The article says data use in India grew greatly over the next ten years.
Jio also expanded from mobile service into fiber broadband, devices, cloud services, and business networks.
It launched 5G and says it reached the whole country in 15 months.
By 2026, Jio reported hundreds of millions of customers and strong financial results.
Reliance Jio began commercial operations in September 2016, reporting 12.4 lakh users in its first month.
India’s average monthly mobile data use rose from below 0.2 GB in 2016 to 42.3 GB for an average Jio subscriber in 2026.
The reported cost of 1 GB of data fell from about Rs 228 in 2016 to roughly Rs 7.9 in 2026.
Jio completed nationwide 5G coverage in 15 months and accumulated approximately 268 million 5G customers within 42 months.
Jio reported 524.4 million active customers and Rs 1,46,885 crore in operating revenue for the financial year ending March 31, 2026.
- Who
- Reliance Jio and its customers across India, including the Andhra Pradesh and Telangana telecommunications circle.
- What
- Jio completed ten years of commercial service and expanded from affordable mobile connectivity into 4G, 5G, fiber broadband, devices, cloud infrastructure, enterprise networks, IoT, and artificial intelligence.
- When
- Jio began commercial operations in September 2016 and marked ten years of service in 2026; the financial figures cited cover the year ending March 31, 2026.
- Where
- Across India, with specific impact described in the unified Andhra Pradesh Circle covering Andhra Pradesh and Telangana.
- Why
- Jio sought to make high-speed connectivity more affordable and widely available, changing data use and expanding digital services.
- Commercial launch
- September 2016
- Reported active customers
- 524.4 million across India
- Reported 2026 operating revenue
- Rs 1,46,885 crore
- Reported 2026 EBITDA
- Rs 76,255 crore
- Nationwide 5G coverage
- Completed in 15 months
- Reported 5G customer base
- Approximately 268 million within 42 months of launch
- Research and technology workforce
- 11,303 employees and 6,817 patents, according to the article