Reliance offer: A jolt for colleges?

Mohit Khanna

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Tribune News Service

Ludhiana, September 9

While colleges are vying for a Wi-Fi enabled campus facility, students these days are seen making a beeline outside the Reliance Digital office to grab a SIM.

The free internet offer, however, has come as a jolt for some colleges here, as several students are opting out of Wi-Fi facility after getting the Reliance Jio SIM offering free downloads.

As part of the introductory offer, all Jio users will get free data, voice, video and a bouquet of Jio applications and content till December 31, 2016.

The offer has not only made the rival telecom companies to reanalyse their future business strategy, but free internet offer has come as jolt for some colleges.

The new offer of free internet may end controversies revolving around the necessity of Wi-Fi enabled college campus.

Recently GGN Khalsa College was in news after a student alleged that the college authorities were forcing students to submit annual fee of Rs 1,400 in lieu of providing Wi-Fi facility.

However, college authorities said the claims of students were motivated, as several students had written to the Principal for opting out of the Wi-Fi facility.

Similarly, SCD Government College also remained in news after SOI leader issued a statement claiming that the college Principal had sent him an application, wherein the latter had requested for setting up Wi- Fi and RO system in the college.

The matter snowballed into a controversy after Youth Congress leaders objected. Finally, SCD Government College Principal Dharam Singh Sandhu came out with a clarification denying making any request to SOI leader.

“With a majority of students vying for free SIM, Wi-Fi installed in the college will be obsolete soon,” a college professor said.

The employee of the store said the queue starts forming early morning. “A majority of those opting for the SIM are college students. Several businessmen are also applying for the new SIM,” said the employee.

Bhupinder Singh and his friends have downloaded 80 GB of data in the past three days.

“I have disconnected all my previous numbers and am making full use of the free internet facility. Currently, the speed is decent so we are busy downloading movies,” said Bhupinder Singh and his friends.

The Reliance Digital showroom located near Khalsa College for Women opens at 11 in the morning. “I reached at 1pm and saw a long line of about 25 people. A majority of them were students and almost all have one thing in mind — unlimited downloads,” said Sukhwinder Singh, a businessman.