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Reliance Jio’s cellular and internet services underwent disruptions for millions of users.
Reliance Jio, India’s largest telecom operator with an estimated 40% of the subscriber share in the country, is going through a major service outage.
Disruptions included complete lack of services, inability to call, or slow internet connectivity. Jio is owned by Mukesh Ambani, India’s richest man, whose family was recently under the spotlight for his son’s lavish wedding, which included high-profile guests such as Bill Gates, Mark Zuckerberg, Rihanna, the Kardashians, and many more.
Issues with Jio’s network peaked around noon local time (2:30 AM Eastern Time) as per Downdetector, with over 10,000 users having reported problems. However, the magnitude of the disruption could be much larger, considering Jio has nearly 480 million subscribers, which it has amassed on the back of lucrative offers, free and unlimited 5G data services, and disruptive pricing at the time of launch.
The outage reportedly occurred due to a fire at one of Jio’s data centers. According to official sources, services were restored around 3:40 PM Indian Time, and user reports from Downdetector align with it. Alongside Jio’s cellular services, its fiber and “AirFiber” wireless broadband services were reportedly affected. Jio’s IPTV services, which run off the internet, were impacted as well.
The impact of the outage on India’s economy could not be immediately estimated. However, being the most affordable and widely used telco service, we expect services such as hyperlocal and food deliveries, logistics, or even communication by law enforcement agencies potentially impacted.
Despite services being reinstated, a flurry of reports and memes were seen on social media platforms, especially X.
When both of your mobile sims are of Jio #JioDown pic.twitter.com/hnOqBI7af9
— DJAY (@djaywalebabu) September 17, 2024
#RelianceJio and #JioDown immediately became trending hashtags on the platform.
Mukesh Ambani Fixing Jio Server
💊💊🤯#jiodown #AtishiMarlena #AtishiCM
Jio sim
Mukesh Ambani Airtel,VI BSNL pic.twitter.com/0bCSLwrnTS— 𝐀𝐚𝐝𝐲𝐚♕ (@_blunt_aadya_) September 17, 2024
At the time of writing, Techopedia’s team members based in India, reported restoration of services. However, some reported slower than usual internet speeds and the inability to connect to 5G networks.
