Reliance Jio wants to have 1 billion connections running over its narrowband IoT LTE network (NB-IoT) within two years, as it prepares to launch the service in January 2020.

The company will have NB-IoT technology operating on its pan-India 4G network early next year. Talking at Reliance’s 42nd annual general meeting this week, Mukesh Ambani, chairman and general manager, called NB-IoT, "a 20,000 crore [rupees] per year revenue opportunity for Jio."

"Within another two years, it is estimated that there will be more than 2 billion connected IoT devices in our country. Jio expects to connect at least 1 billion of these on its IoT platform," Ambani said.

Rivals Bharti Airtel and Vodafone India are both expecting to launch NB-IoT across India in 2020.

Why this matters
After a disappointing start for the cellular IoT technology in 2017 through 2018, the expected scope of the Reliance Jio NB-IoT deployment indicates the growth of the 4G technology. The GSMA says that 140 operators in 69 countries are now investing in NB-IoT networks.

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— Dan Jones, Mobile Editor, Light Reading