After years of hype, rumors and speculation, Reliance's ambitious broadband project GigaFiber may finally be commercially launched on August 12. According to The Hindu, the company is believed to be ready to make a formal announcement to this effect during its upcoming Annual General Meeting (AGM) on the above date. The service was officially unveiled at Reliance's 41st Annual General Meeting last year.

While exact details of Jio GigaFiber remain under wraps, the service is expected to improve the fixed broadband sector in India in the same way Jio revolutionized the mobile phone industry in the country in recent years. The company is expected to offer high-speed broadband with generous data allowances at affordable prices, although some reports suggest the price may not be as low as the mobile plans.

Reliance will reportedly launch Jio GigaFiber with multiple bundled services, including TV and landline, making it a true triple-play offering from a leading pan-India operator for the first time. Recent reports have suggested that the entire package, with 50 Mbps internet, voice calls and TV service, will start at only Rs. 600 per month, while the faster 100 Mbps connection will cost Rs. 1,000.

Reliance has also made changes to the pricing tiers of its GigaFiber "Preview Offer" ahead of the commercial launch. The company last month introduced a new version of its optical network terminal (ONT) that is significantly cheaper than the 'Gigahub Home Gateway' router which was till now the only option offered by the company at Rs. 4,500. The new plan requires a deposit of Rs. 2,500 and provides 1,100GB of 50Mbps data per month instead of the 100Mbps offered by the more expensive option.