DoT allocates 22 mn mobile phone numbers to Reliance Jio

The Department of Telecom has allocated 22 million mobile phone numbers to Reliance Jio Infocomm, the telecom arm of Mukesh Ambani-led Reliance Industries Led (RIL), allowing the company to roll out fourth generation (4G) telecom services across all 22 service areas of the country.

The news comes a day after Reliance Jio Infocomm Limited (Reliance Jio) announced a comprehensive telecom infrastructure sharing arrangement with Bharti Airtel Limited.

Under the agreement with Bharti Airtel, Reliance Jio can also have access to 2G and 3G airwaves held by Airtel.

Airtel also can access Reliance Jio's 4G spectrum in areas where it does not hold these airwaves (See: Reliance Jio, Bharti in telecom infrastructure sharing pact).

Airtel has 4G spectrum in eight service areas and provides high-speed services in six cities. Reliance Jio is yet to launch its services.

Earlier, the company had been issued numbers to test voice services on its 4G network for Jamnagar, Delhi and Mumbai.

Reliance Industries Limited, received Unified License for all 22 service areas across India in October 2013, becoming the first telecom operator in the country to get pan-India licence.

This would be the second innings for Mukesh Ambani in telecom business after he had to exit Reliance Infocomm, which has been transferred to younger brother Anil Ambani under the business sharing pact.

Reliance Infocomm is now known as Reliance Communications.