Reliance Jio - Pan India 4G / LTE network

[kesav 127]

Ericsson and Reliance demonstrate LTE-TDD capabilities

Reliance Industries and Ericsson India showcased the results from the first field trial of LTE-TDD mobile system technology. The trials demonstrated the performance of LTE technology and the complete ecosystem available today to support the technology.

The trial was conducted at the Reliance Corporate Park at Navi Mumbai.

The trials achieved balanced peak rates of 80 mbps in downlink and 20 mbps in uplink. For the specified configuration/setup.

The eco system capabilities were also showcased using ST Ericsson dongles connected over the air to the base station. Full mobility with flawless delivery of applications such as HD Multimedia Streaming, LIVE TV was demonstrated with on-the-move speeds of 50 and 70 kilometers per hour as well as a seamless handover among the number of LTE Base Station Sectors.

A spokesperson for Reliance Industries Limited said, “This LTE trial not only demonstrated the superiority of LTE-TDD technology but it also strengthened our confidence in the timely availability of LTE eco-system in India with Ericsson’s global deployment expertise. This is an important milestone for Indian telecom industry in showcasing LTE performance on a live network. We look forward to leveraging on the pilot to set up a commercial network that will build on a globally standardized eco-system and technology that offers immense potential for a wide spectrum of end-user offerings”.

Gowton Achaibar, Head of Region, Ericsson India said, “Today’s trial validates the future of ubiquitous high speed mobile broadband in India showcasing the availability of LTE-TDD. Consumers are now very close to realizing through high performance networks, the full promise of mobile-broadband, ultra-high data speeds for services such as internet TV, mobile video-blogging, online video games and the mobile office-environment. We are delighted to be an integral part of Reliance's LTE showcase as it underscores a firm commitment to standardized technologies that will benefit from economies of scale and global experiences".

Ericsson earlier has demonstrated a successful end to end LTE-TDD call in July in its India headquarters in Gurgaon.

source :: http://www.telecomtiger.com/Technology_fullstory.aspx?passfrom=topstory&storyid=10337&section=S210

[kesav 127]

RIL calls tower firm tenders for broadband

Taking its plans to roll out fourth-generation (4G) broadband services a step further, Infotel Broadband Services Pvt. Ltd has invited bids from telecom tower operators willing to lease out around 26,000 towers across India, two people familiar with the development said.

Infotel, now a subsidiary of Reliance Industries Ltd (RIL), won pan-India spectrum for broadband wireless access (BWA) last year.

One of the persons said that RIL had floated the request for proposal in early January. Neither he nor the other person wanted to be identified.

Viom Networks Ltd, India’s largest independent telecom tower company, and GTL Infrastructure Ltd will put in bids, executives at the companies said.

“RIL would need towers for its BWA venture and they would be potential customers for us. We will try and bid for their tenancy,” a Viom executive said.

A senior executive from GTL Infrastructure also confirmed the company’s interest. Neither he nor the Viom executive wanted to be identified.

A GTL spokesperson declined comment for this story.

RIL didn’t respond to an email query sent on Monday, or subsequent calls seeking comment.

In June, RIL, India’s most valuable company by market capitalization, announced its re-entry into the telecom space by acquiring a 95% stake in Infotel Broadband Services, a privately held telecom services company, for Rs. 4,800 crore.

Infotel had, in June, received spectrum or air-waves to roll out broadband wireless services in 22 circles (or designated service areas) across India in a government auction by paying Rs. 12,847.77 crore.

The acquisition marked RIL chairman Mukesh Ambani’s return to telecom after he exited the business in favour of younger brother Anil Ambani when the two carved up the Reliance empire between themselves and also signed an agreement to the effect that they wouldn’t compete with each other.

The brothers terminated the non-compete agreement in May, facilitating RIL’s re-entry into telecom.

Reliance Communications Ltd (RCom), which has its own telecom tower subsidiary Reliance Infratel Ltd, had earlier announced its intention of cooperating with RIL in the latter’s broadband initiative.

“As leading telecom infrastructure and content service providers, we look forward to offering our services to RIL and other BWA players, even while we compete for customers in the marketplace through our choice of different technologies,” RCom had said in a June statement.

RIL’s attempt to acquire tenancy on towers, which would be crucial for end-user connectivity, comes soon after it was reported to be in the process of finalizing vendors who would supply broadband equipment based on the so-called LTE, or long term evolution, technology.

RIL plans to roll out wireless broadband services by the end of the year.

“Infotel is in the process of finalizing the arrangement with leading global technology players, service providers, infrastructure providers, application developers, device manufacturers and others to leapfrog India to the 4G revolution,” RIL had said in a statement issued on 21 January, while announcing its results for the quarter ended 31 December.

The telecom tower business in India is set to get a shot in the arm with winners of 3G (third generation) and BWA spectrum preparing to roll out their services, analysts say.

“3G and BWA together could create as many as 100,000 new tenancies for telecom tower operators in the next two to four years and this would make up for the sluggish growth in tower tenancies over the last two years due to the regulatory conditions; security concerns and uncertainty over availability of equipment, especially from the Chinese manufacturers,” said Prashant Singhal, head of the telecom practice in India at international audit and consulting firm Ernst and Young.

Romal Shetty, head of the telecom practice at another international audit and consulting firm, KPMG, said the entry of a conglomerate such as RIL into the broadband wireless space would help provide telecom tower companies an extra opportunity for generating revenues even as the possibility of consolidation in the telecom space looms large.

“For telecom tower operations to be viable, firms need a tenancy ratio of at least two (two tenants per tower). If any consolidation in the industry happens, it would lead to falling tenancy ratios, and RIL’s BWA operations could partly compensate that,” Shetty added.

Both Shetty and Singhal said that Infotel seems to have set the ball rolling to launch its services at the earliest.

“To ensure that they do not lose out on the share of the consumer’s wallet to 3G services that are already being launched, RIL will look to launch at the earliest, especially since it has the ability to do so,” Shetty said.

Shares of RIL fell 2.57% on the Bombay Stock Exchange on Tuesday to close at Rs. 895.65 each even as the bourse’s benchmark equity index, the Sensex, lost 1.67%.

source :: http://www.livemint.com/2011/02/01232642/RIL-calls-tower-firm-tenders-f.html?h=A1

[Greatest 55]

In 6 months, I can see the services getting launched commercially.. Great going MDA...

[digitalnirvana 646]

They will need to find a way of offering voice too. Data alone will not win over the market. Why is RIL not sharing RCOMs existing infrastructure, it would speed up time to launch.

[vvinayakpai 26]

^^^^^^^^^^^^

The government is clearing the way for MDA to offer voice calls on his 4 G network.

The delinking of spectrum from license is a positive for MDA. Now they can just pay an additional 1651 crores and acquire an UAS license and also offer voice calls. (UAS licenses are technology neutral)

[KanagaDeepan 1,084]

Very much possible dosth... Initially I thought that, they will offer VOIP calls for voice services and dirt cheap ISD calls, ofcourse after some activities behind the scenes to force govt to approve it...

Edited February 2, 2011 by KanagaDeepan

[kesav 127]

Infotel plans ambitious LTE launch

Reliance Industries Ltd-controlled Infotel Broadband Ltd is working on a plan to launch long term evolution (LTE) — which offers high data speeds — in 700 cities in the first phase of its launch. LTE offers data speeds from 50 mbps to 100 mbps to customers.

To achieve this, it has called international companies to make a bid for what would be one of the largest equipment deals in the country. As part of the plan, which it has shared with potential vendors, Infotel will take on the companies offering third-generation telecom services (3G) by offering guaranteed minimum internet data speeds to their customers. It should start services from the end of this year.

nfotel has invited international telcos to demonstrate their LTE capability as a precursor to signing orders, expected to be over $2 billion (Rs 9,200 crore). Companies in the race include Huawei of China, Samsung from Korea, Ericcsson, Alcatel-Lucent and Nokia Siemens Networks. Companies like Samsung have also been approached for discussion on bulk buying of their tablet PC devices like the Galaxy Tab. Vendors say the company is looking at large bulk deals for devices.

The companies have been asked to demonstrate their LTE capabilities from the second week of February -- a clear reflection that it has finally abandoned any plan to launch its services on the WIMAX platform.

A spokesperson of Reliance Industries Ltd declined to comment. “We are currently engaged with all BWA (broadband wireless spectrum) winners for offering TD-LTE technology. As the market leader in LTE, Nokia Siemens Networks is at the forefront of driving standardisation, interoperability and commercialisation of TD-LTE,” said Kanika Atri, head of marketing for Nokia Siemens Networks India.

"LTE and HSPA are emerging as the dominant standards for mobile broadband globally. Operators in India would benefit from the economies of scale and roaming by deploying these technologies,” said P Balaji, vice president, Ericcson India.

Infotel is also talking to leading tower companies to lease 60,000 towers across the country for its pan-India launch in the first phase. It has told vendors it would not like to build any tower. Tower vendors who have had discussions with the company say 70 to 80 per cent of the requirement for Infotel can be met by existing towers. “But considering that the company is looking at providing guarantees of minimum speeds to customers, 20 per cent of their requirement will come from new towers, which have to be constructed by operators for Infotel,” said one.

While no deadlines have been given, vendors say the company might start the roll out of its network in the next three to four months and could launch services in some parts of the country by the year end.

RIL had paid Rs 4,800 crore for acquiring a 95 per cent stake in Infotel, a company floated by the HFCL group under Mahendra Nahata. Infotel has also paid Rs 12,848 crore to the government towards spectrum fees, when it won pan-India spectrum in the auction of BWA auction held last year.

source :: http://www.business-standard.com/india/news/infotel-plans-ambitious-lte-launch/424043/

Edited February 4, 2011 by kesav

[Greatest 55]

^^^ Cheer to our faces...

[Karthik R 246]

Let's see how he prices 4G data!

[Greatest 55]

^^^ I am sure, itll be worth it.. Reliance (Read RIL) has always been pricing its products/services for the aam aadmi...

[KanagaDeepan 1,084]

Yes, atleast during the launching period and till the competitors die...

Edited February 5, 2011 by KanagaDeepan

[Greatest 55]

Its a vicious circle my friend.. there is no business which does not have competition..

[KanagaDeepan 1,084]

Ya, in telecom whatever you are saying is 100% correct...

But I am saying from their earlier deeds in PVC (LD, HD) market, where they launched at half the price (even with loss) and killed small cos and became Monopoly and increasing rates at their will now...

Edited February 5, 2011 by KanagaDeepan

[kesav 127]

Verizon Prepares First 4G Mobile Voice Service, Dubbed "VoLTE"

Sprint already offers video chat on 4G, but no voice-only first-party 4G service

America's largest telecommunications company, Verizon Wireless, is hoping to take a leap ahead in the next-generation mobile communications arms race. Brian Higgins, executive director for ecosystem development at Verizon Wireless, revealed to CNN that the carrier would be debuting a new 4G powered voice and video chat service, sometime early next year.

Dubbed "Voice Over LTE" (VoLTE), the technology uses data length to transmit voice and video, similar to voice-over-IP services like Skype. The only difference is that the signal has to make the wireless jump across the air, before being relayed along the network's fiber data backbone.

VoLTE will be powered by Verizon's Long-Term Evolution network, the company's 4G pick of choice. So far Verizon has been the biggest backer of the tech, with its current 4G LTE network covering about a third of the U.S. population, almost entirely in cities. That's roughly in line with the coverage of Sprint's rival 4G technology, WiMAX.

Sprint already is offering phones that use the 4G-link to relay data and video chat (though it doesn't offer first party support for 4G voice calls). Verizon's first LTE-capable phone, the Android-powered LG Revolution 4G, will be demoed next week at the annual Mobile World Conference (MWC) in Barcelona, Spain.

The LG Revolution 4G could be a huge hit for Verizon, particularly when it adds VoLTE mid-lifespan. That could mean a bit of redemption for LG, who has struggled in the smart phone race. The phone is expected to launch this summer, with 4G data only. It will be powered by the upcoming Android 3.0 "Honeycomb" operating system.

The Revolution will come with a video chat service from Skype, according to Marni Walden [profile], Verizon's marketing chief.

Rival AT&T, America's second largest carrier, plans to start deploying its own 4G LTE network in H2 2011. The company is working with Verizon to offer a coherent VoLTE standard, which the two companies call "One Voice". The key focus will be to leverage LTE to improve voice quality and reliability.

Currently, Verizon's new iPhone 4, which launches in stores Thursday, can only make FaceTime calls over Wi-Fi, like the iPhone 4 on AT&T. Verizon engineers are testing a software update that will allow 3G FaceTime. And then early next year, 4G FaceTime will finally go live. Once that happens, Verizon (and the iPhone) will finally have caught up to Sprint, whose Android smart phones come with the 4G capable Qik video chat service.

Subscribers to Verizon's LTE data service can already make wireless VoIP video chat calls on services like Skype on their computer.

Verizon and other carriers are currently grappling with how to deal with existing wireless VoIP services like Skype and Google Voice. Those services often allow users to ditch more expensive higher minutes plans, by transmitting calls directly over data networks. That's a huge threat to the large monthly premiums carriers charge for voice traffic.

Verizon insists that it will simply try to outcompete these services, not ban them. States Ms. Walden, "We're not going to run away from the innovation that's happening out there. We're going to make sure we innovate it better or integrate it better on our devices than anyone else, as opposed to putting up a walled garden. With the data capabilities that the 4G LTE network is going to provide, there are opportunities to grow revenue."

http://www.dailytech.com/Verizon+Prepares+First+4G+Mobile+Voice+Service+Dubbed+VoLTE/article20865.htm

I've picked up this article to highlight 2 things.

1) VoLTE may touch the shores of India before it's implemented in USA if Infotel launches service by this year end.

With VoLTE, Infotel does not need separate spectrum for voice and hence it can become full-fledged mobile operator.

2) VoRA update on Verizon Iphone & corresponding n/w upgrade is going to happen soon. Let us pray that our CDMA operators will bring that technology to India so that EVDO customers can also enjoy video chats.

[inception 75]

I dont think govt will allow Infotel to become a full fledged mobile operator! also COAI will cry loud! For the b*****ds of COAI CDMA players still cant tell EVDO as 3G of CDMA!

[HetalDP 947]

4G band is allowed to offer Voice Calling if they buy Licence

[ananth001 21]

I dont think govt will allow Infotel to become a full fledged mobile operator! also COAI will cry loud! For the b*****ds of COAI CDMA players still cant tell EVDO as 3G of CDMA!

don't forget reliance infcomm allowed it's subscribers to roam accross India with a 7 digit landline number on a mobile. It;s Mukesh bhai, and rest assured he can get ANYTHING done. More importantly he knows the telecom business and will commoditise broadband for the masses.

[raju_a 31]

@ Hetal

Definitely 4G band can carry voice but the licence they acquired is only for broadband. So VOIP may be possible but direct voice not in this licence.

Anyways Rcom is in doldrums cud be a possible acquisition target and relieve the younger one of debt.

All in the family.

[vvinayakpai 26]

@ Hetal

Definitely 4G band can carry voice but the licence they acquired is only for broadband. So VOIP may be possible but direct voice not in this licence.

Anyways Rcom is in doldrums cud be a possible acquisition target and relieve the younger one of debt.

All in the family.

I fail to agree with you. Until now even i was of the opinion that RCOM was an acquisition target on the radar of RIL. But after the recent turn of events I fail to think so. I definitely agree that with sentiments so low, RIL may be able to acquire a huge chunk of RCOM for a very low price considering the hammering of the RCOM stock. But at the end of the day if such a share exchange takes place, RIL would not be buying an asset but LITIGATION!!!!!

Rcom is in deep trouble especially after the link ups with Swan etc. They are in the news for all the wrong reasons you can think about.

Actually I was also of the opinion that the unity of RCOM and RIL would have been a huge boost and would have complimented both their respective requirements in a huge manner and they would have been able to create a telecom company of such huge magnitude which was until now unheard in the Indian Telecom Industry. It would have been the only company with pan India 2G and 4G licenses and also a few 3G circles (pan India 3G also if they enter into network sharing agreement with other 3G operators in other circles). But now it is a distant dream!!!!!!!!!RCOM would have got the much needed cash and RIL would have relished on RCOM's telecom infrastructure to support its 4G coverage

Edited February 20, 2011 by vvinayakpai

[inception 75]

guys i feel Swan aka Etisalat DB (brand name Cheers) may be sold to RIL. There is high chance of it, after new Telecom policy of 2011 comes out with better M&A policies! Also GSM to LTE upgrade is easier than CDMA to LTE! (I know Verizon did it!)

[vvinayakpai 26]

I also feel that Videocon must be watched out for. Seeing their tariffs (the 25 ps/min local and std) I have a rather strong hunch that this might be a frontline company acting on behalf of RIL. Especially considering the fact that Manoj Modi (Director, Reliance Industries Limited) owns a 15% stake in the Videocon mobile services company.

Edited February 21, 2011 by vvinayakpai

[inception 75]

yeah chance of buying Videocon is more, as it still does not have a foreign telco behind !

[kalpeshaparmar 66]

Guys as per new directives (basically tampered for RIL)

Anybody can get telecom license without spectrum..........

So for sure they wud go for the license..........

[rajanmehta 4,056]

India's Reliance Secures LTE TDD Partner

March 16, 2011 Gagandeep Kaur. Light Reading Asia

Reliance Industries Ltd. (RIL) , the only company in India to hold a nationwide license for Long Term Evolution Time Division Duplex (LTE TDD), has secured a partner to help with the planning, rollout and access infrastructure development for its multi-billion dollar broadband wireless access (BWA) network.

But that partner isn't any of the major international wireless infrastructure vendors -- it's Mumbai-based integrator and technology developer Rancore Technologies Pvt. Ltd. , a small (up to 200 staff) company that specializes in technology evaluation and validation, acceptance testing, operations management and standardization for LTE, WiMax, IMS (IP Multimedia Subsystem), IPTV and service delivery platform (SDP) deployments.

"We are working with Reliance [industries] for its network rollout ... we are their technology partner," Rancore Vice President Atul Agarwal told Light Reading Asia.

That's quite a coup for Rancore, as Reliance Industries is set to become one of the most influential broadband players in India in the coming years.

Courtesy of its acquisition of Infotel Broadband Services in the wake of last June's BWA spectrum auction, Reliance Industries is the only company that holds licenses to operate in the 2.3GHz band in all of India's 22 circles (service areas).

And while that spectrum is suitable for WiMax services, Reliance favors the LTE TDD technology that is gaining support in a number of other markets, most notably China.

In fact, Reliance Industries was one of a number of companies that expressed strong commitment to the development of a global LTE TDD ecosystem at the recent LTE TDD/FDD International Summit in Barcelona.

While that ecosystem is still in the early stages of development, particularly with regards to user devices, Reliance intends to launch its initial services in a few cities during 2011. That's important not just for Reliance, Rancore and any other companies that are brought on board for the launch, but also for the other BWA license-holders, as Reliance's go-to-market strategy is expected to influence the decisions taken by the other five companies that successfully bid for 2.3GHz spectrum.

All of which is significant for India's communications market too, as there is a strong push for faster and more extensive broadband penetration in India that the country's fixed-line operators have been unable to fulfil. As a result, widespread broadband penetration is likely to be achieved only if the BWA license-holders can successfully develop and market their services.

Rancore's role and relationship with Reliance Industries

Though Agarwal refused to elaborate on exactly what it's doing for Reliance, an industry source with knowledge of the relationship says Rancore is involved in technology research and development and network planning for the license-holder, and has been funded by Reliance Industries since its inception in 2007.

Agarwal declined to comment on any investment relationship with Reliance.

It's possible, too, that Rancore's involvement in Reliance's plans may extend beyond testing, validation and planning. The Indian firm formed an alliance with wireless processor specialist picoChip Designs Ltd. that enables Rancore to use picoChip's wireless baseband technology for the development of "4G" base stations.

However, Reliance has been working closely with a number of large, international technology players, including Ericsson AB (Nasdaq: ERIC), as it develops its LTE TDD strategy.

Alcatel-Lucent (NYSE: ALU) and Huawei Technologies Co. Ltd. have also been linked to Reliance's LTE TDD plans, while Nokia Siemens Networks is working hard to win a slice of the action.

[ravi_patent 28]

http://www.lightreading.com/video.asp?doc_id=206285

http://www.lightreading.com/document.asp?doc_id=206265&f_src=lightreading_gnews