Reliance Jio Digital Fiber – Kerala Greenfield Rollout Project

A comprehensive overview of the Jio Digital Fiber project in Kerala, India, detailing its objectives, key responsibilities, technologies used, and the outcomes achieved and Vishnu’s role in this project as State Lead- Project Manager. The project aims to establish a robust digital infrastructure that supports high-speed broadband and IoT services, enhancing connectivity and digital literacy across both urban and rural areas of the state.

Project Overview

The Kerala Greenfield Rollout is a state-led digital infrastructure initiative led by Reliance Jio to build a fiber-first, 5G-ready ecosystem across Kerala. The project was designed to deliver high-speed broadband (FTTH) and serve as the digital backbone for IoT services, e-governance, smart agriculture, and enterprise enablement across the state’s urban and rural regions. This end-to-end program involved Outside Plant (OSP) and Internet Service Provider (ISP) planning and execution, in alignment with Kerala’s Digital Mission, and leveraging Jio’s national infrastructure.

Objectives

Deliver universal FTTH connectivity to 95%+ households across 14 districts.
Deploy a disaster-resilient OSP infrastructure tailored to Kerala’s monsoon-prone terrain.
Integrate data centers, smart city platforms, and IoT use cases across verticals (health, agri, transport).
Enable last-mile digital inclusion through subsidized plans, local partnerships, and digital literacy programs.

Cross Functional Collaboration Across Domains

Key Responsibilities

Planning & Strategy

Led state-level stakeholder alignment with Kerala IT Mission, KSEB, KFON, and local governments.
Developed a phased rollout roadmap across planning, deployment, integration, and innovation.
Created cost models blending CAPEX, CSR funding, and PPP frameworks.

OSP & ISP Infrastructure

Designed hybrid OSP architecture using aerial fiber (KSEB poles) and micro-trenching (urban cores).
Oversaw deployment of 16,000+ km of fiber, 96-core lines, and >4500 FTTH distribution nodes.
Integrated Tier-III/IV data centers in Kochi & Thiruvananthapuram with edge DCs in district HQs.

FTTH & Service Activation

Directed FTTH rollout, with last-mile installations, ONU/OLT placement, and QoS testing.
Defined and launched residential & enterprise broadband plans (30 Mbps to 1 Gbps).
Integrated JASPER platform for automated service provisioning, billing, and CRM.

IoT Integration

Enabled connectivity for Jio IoT platforms (JioThings, JioHealthHub, JioMotive).
Connected 100,000+ smart devices in pilots: Agri sensors, flood monitors, healthcare wearables.
Deployed edge computing nodes for real-time processing and low latency.

Security, Monitoring & Compliance

Ensured network resilience through redundant fiber loops and QKD encryption.
Established a state-level NOC for real-time fiber/IoT performance monitoring.
Complied with Kerala Data Protection Guidelines 2023.

Methodologies & Frameworks

SAFe Agile for cross-team coordination, PI Planning, and ART alignment.
Lean Portfolio Management to prioritize features and optimize delivery cadence.
Design Thinking for persona-driven rural tech adoption.

Key KPIs Achieved

| KPI | Target/Outcome |

| Household Coverage - 95% within 3 years || Rural Penetration - 80%+ || Network Uptime - 99.9% SLA || Avg. Broadband Speed - 200 Mbps ||

| IoT Devices Connected - 1000,000 projected (50,000 achieved in pilot) || Public Wi-Fi Hotspots | 5,000 installed ||

Challenges & Mitigations

| Challenge | Solution |

| Right-of-way delays - Fast-tracked via Kerala's RoW Portal & local authority MoUs || Monsoon infrastructure damage - Elevated aerial fiber + flood-proof ducts || Low rural adoption | Subsidized plans, training programs, community Wi-Fi |

Outcomes & Impact

Positioned Kerala as India’s first fiber-literate state, setting a national benchmark for rural broadband.
Boosted digital adoption among MSMEs, farmers, and schools, especially in under-connected districts.
Laid the foundation for Jio’s 5G expansion, IoT monetization, and smart governance in Kerala.
16 Million Customers in a span of 6 years