A nationwide 4G network is on the cards in India following the announcement that Reliance Jio Infocomm has signed a tower-sharing agreement with Reliance Communications.
The 15-year deal, worth around INR120 billion ($2.1 billion), will see Jio Infocomm lease as many as 45,000 ground and rooftop towers from RCom’s Indian network. The two firms will collaborate on the configuration of towers to be constructed at new locations, ensuring “deep penetration and seamless delivery of next generation services”.
This latest agreement provides further evidence that the Ambani brothers are settling their differences, following the acrimonious breakup of their father’s Reliance business in 2005. The two firms signed a fibre-sharing agreement in April covering several Indian cities, with a mind to further long-term cooperation.
While the elder brother and Reliance Industries owner Mukesh Ambani is currently India’s richest man, his younger brother Anil’s RCom faces increasing debt problems. Reliance Industries subsidiary Jio Infocomm will reportedly require another year of preparation before launching 4G services.
