RCom, Reliance Jio in talks for spectrum sharing: Anil Ambani

Mumbai: Terming it as a "virtual consolidation" in the highly competitive telecom space, Anil Ambani said his group firm RCom is tying up 'trading and sharing' of spectrum with Mukesh Ambani-led Reliance Jio including for the much-awaited 4G services.  

Addressing shareholders at the Annual General Meeting, Reliance Communications Chairman also said he was "grateful" to his elder brother for "unstinted support and guidance". The two brothers have begun collaborating with each other   in certain businesses over the past few years, after a long   period of cut-throat rivalry following a much-publicised split   of 2005 of the erstwhile Reliance empire founded by their   father late Dhirubhai Ambani.  

"This strategic cooperation and partnership between RJIO  and RCom is a virtual consolidation in the telecom sector and   I'm grateful to my elder brother Mukesh bhai for unstinted   support and guidance," Anil Ambani said.   He added that both the companies are at "an advance stage of discussion" for finalising a nationwide trading and sharing   arrangement, which will be followed up with reciprocal   arrangements between Reliance Jio and Reliance Communications   for letting customers roam on each others' networks. 

"I believe this will be a true gamechanger for the sector   and we will see benefits in coming years," he said, adding   that they will be able to jointly offer "gold standard" services This will facilitate RCom customers to access RJio's 4G  network on an "asset light" and "minimum capital expenditure"model, he said.  

RJIO will also substantially benefit from access to RCom's entire portfolio of 800-850 MhZ spectrum in all circles to supplement it is holding, he added. Anil Ambani added that their father Dhirubhai, whose death   resulted in the two brothers splitting businesses and the younger one getting the telecom business, would have been very happy for such a partnership.