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Department of Telecommunications has allocated 10,000 numbers to Reliance Jio Infocomm (RJI), the telecom arm of Reliance Industries, for testing mobile services roll out in Delhi, Mumbai and Jamnagar.
Reliance Jio Infocomm (RJI) has been given 4,000 numbers each for Mumbai and Delhi and 2,000 numbers for testing mobile services in Jamnagar, official sources said.
The DoT has told RJI that during the testing period it will not charge any fee either from consumers or other telecom operators for providing telecom services through resources that have been allocated to it for this purpose only.
No comments were available from RJI on the matter.
Reliance Jio Infocomm, formerly Infotel Broadband Services Limited, had requested DoT in October 2012 to allocate phone numbers and other permissions required for providing voice calls facility on its 4G services network.
The company in its communication to the department has said that it developed a technology, VoLTE, in preparation of a unified licencing regime recommended by the regulator TRAI under which consumers will be able to get voice, messaging and video using a single device.
Sharing details of its plan, RJI had said that VoLTE technology would enable it to work seamlessly with the existing 2G, 3G, NLD and ILD networks.
The VoLTE technology of the company is expected to provide an alternative to applications currently used for making calls and video chat using internet.
In February 2013, inter-ministerial body Telecom Commission approved a provision that will enable companies like Reliance Jio to provide full-fledged mobile services by paying additional amount of Rs 1,658 crore.
The company has also entered in agreement with Anil Ambani-led Reliance Communications for "optimal utilisation of existing and future infrastructure of both companies on reciprocal basis, including inter alia, inter-city fibre, intra-city fibre, towers and related assets."
Market analysts have said that the deal between the two companies could be extended to spectrum sharing once new licence norms are finalised.
