Jio Platforms Managing Director Akash Ambani said the company expects to commercially launch 6G services in the early 2030s, with the rollout designed largely as a software upgrade rather than a fresh infrastructure buildout.
Mumbai, October 15 — Jio Platforms is working on 6G technology and expects commercial deployment to begin in the early 2030s, Managing Director Akash Ambani said on Thursday.
Ambani said the company is aiming for a capex-light approach, with 6G expected to be introduced primarily through software upgrades instead of requiring an entirely new network infrastructure.
“We will do 6G as a software upgrade rather than a new infrastructure buildout,” Ambani said during a briefing ahead of Jio Platforms’ planned IPO.
Jio is currently in the pre-standard phase of 6G development. Ambani said global 6G standards are expected to be finalised by around 2029, paving the way for commercial launches in the following decade.
The company already serves around 53 crore users across its 4G and 5G networks and plans to use 6G to further expand digital connectivity and improve services for consumers.
However, Ambani said Jio’s immediate priority remains increasing utilisation of its existing 5G network, which is currently being used at only around one-third of its potential capacity.
The company expects to add around 34 crore subscribers over the next five years through FY31. Of these, about 10 crore additions are expected to come from population growth, while the remaining 24 crore could come from users migrating to or adopting Jio services.
Ambani said Jio’s strategy remains focused on using technology to make advanced digital services more accessible and affordable.
The comments come ahead of the company’s ₹30,000-crore initial public offering, which is scheduled to open from October 21 to October 23. Jio Platforms is offering 27 crore new shares in a price band of ₹1,065 to ₹1,119 per share.
At the upper end of the price band, the issue size would be around ₹30,213 crore, potentially making it the largest IPO in India.
Jio’s 6G strategy suggests the company is looking to reuse much of its existing telecom infrastructure while relying more heavily on software-defined networking and future standards to reduce the capital intensity of the next generation of mobile technology.
