As we pointed out two days ago, Reliance has started advertising its LYF handset brand online and urging people to register if they are interested in buying the phone.
With the company now unveiling an invite system, chances are that people who have registered to buy the handset from LYF website could turn lucky and may themselves with a Jio Preview invite.
There is no official communication regarding how invites are going to be shared, and for now, it is only being routed through Jio employees.
However, the company sources indicate that anyone who buys LYF handset will be in the ‘high priority list’ for getting early access to the 4G network.
Along with these early LYF buyers, another group that will be high on the priority list will be those who have shown interest in the phone by giving all their details on LYF website.
“We have not been told anything concrete, but it’s entirely possible,” said an executive working for the company.
SMOOTH RAMP NEEDED
In fact, as we pointed out five months ago, Jio’s best option for ramping its services is via an invite system.
A telecom network is designed to be grown slowly, and not all at once.
As such, industry experts point out, promising everyone a connection if they buy a LYF handset would not have been as controlled and smooth as using the present invite-based system.
“The beauty of the invite system is that you can tailor it as you want,” pointed out an ex-telecom veteran who now works as a consultant to operators.
“You can use it to reward those who buy your phones, just like bundling, but you can do it at your pace,” he said, pointing out that since the handset-SIM bundle cannot be purchased without a invite, the company has exact control over the speed at which new subscribers join.
The expert believes that Jio will onboard “lakhs” of subscribers using the invite system.
According to market sources, the company has imported over 5 million LYF handsets. Over a million has been sold, with several millions remaining on store shelves.
According to the ‘Preview Offer’, users who buy LYF handsets get free access to unlimited 4G data, 4G voice, 4G video, SMS and eight premium apps including Jio Beats for music, Jio Mag for magazines, Jio News, Jio On Demand for movies and Jio Play — a TV app that allows you to rewind channels up to seven days in the past.