Reliance Communications to use Jio's network from next week

Customers of Reliance Communications' high-speed data services will be able to use Reliance Jio Infocomm's 4G network from next week, sources said.

In a letter to the Department of Telecom on June 22, the company said initially the network transfer will be launched in 12 major circles, including Mumbai, Delhi, Kolkata, Gujarat and Andhra Pradesh.

"Other seven circles in phase I are Maharashtra, Punjab, Uttar Pradesh East, Uttar Pradesh West, Orissa, Madhya Pradesh and Bihar. RCOM customers to experience 4G LTE in six more circles by mid-July," one of the sources said.

This is in line with the company's earlier letter to the government that said it will start upgrading CDMA customers to 4G LTE from May 2016.

Reliance Communications is upgrading to 4G using liberalised 800 MHz spectrum under Jio sharing agreement.

In January, the telecom companies of the two Ambani brothers -- Mukesh and Anil -- announced agreements for trading and sharing of scarce airwaves, or radio frequency spectrum, in the 800 MHz band, covering the entire country.

The company already has liberalized its 850 MHz band spectrum in 20 circles by paying over Rs 6,600 crore.

--IANS

ag/ap/vt