RIL to enter 4G services space

Even as operators like Bharti Airtel, Tata Teleservices and Reliance Communications try to get their act together in 3G services, Mukesh Ambani-owned Reliance Industries Ltd has started trials on fourth-generation (4G) mobile technology and is getting ready to enter 4th generation telecom services.

As per reports, RIL team at Navi Mumbai has started trials of 4G connection and got download speed of 80 Mbps and upload speed of 20 Mbps – that’s much higher than current 3G connection of 3.1 Mbps or 7.2 Mbps.

The 4G technology — which is due to be launched sometime next year – will be provided through RIL’s telecom arm Reliance Infotel that won wireless internet spectrum auctioned recently.

The 4G enables subscribers to watch high-definition video streaming while on the move and live mobile TV. Here the data delivery on mobile phones is even higher than 3G services, thus, you surf internet at lightning speeds.

RIL at the moment is looking to finalise equipment as well handset orders.

Sources tell NDTV that RIL is in talks with global technology major Qualcomm to get their LTE technology which will allow it to provide 4G services using the BWA band.

What could prove challenging for many of the existing telcos is the fact that along with data, RIL is looking to provide voice service, and also making it literally into a full-fledged mobile service. And all of this will be at a much lower cost than 3G because the price of BWA spectrum is much lower than 3G spectrum.