Reliance Communications aims for top global telecom league with 100 million subscribers

Reliance Communications, the Anil Ambani-owned mobile phone operator is said to be eyeing a subscriber base of 100 million by the end of the year. The company says it has clocked a record increase in subscribers in the first quarter following the launch of its GSM network in India.

With its plans the company could emerge among the top league with players like Vodafone, China Mobile and China Unicom, and Bharti Airtel.

The growth of Reliance and other players highlights the steady but fast paced growth of the Indian telecom market. With 350 million subscribers, the growth of the Indian market has outstripped the Chinese market emerging as the fastest-growing mobile market globally with 10 million subscribers being added each moth.

Reliance Communications has itself, during the past three months added 11.3 million subscribers, of which 9 million are subscribers of its GSM network. The company unveiled its GSM network in 11,000 cities and 200,000 villages in this period.

The company also operates a successful CDMA network. According to media reports

the company was last year in merger talks with South Aftrica's MTN in a deal worth up to $40 billion. However, the plans had to be dropped due to certain domestic problems concerning the controlling Ambani family.

Integrated mobilee and fixed line  elecommunications service provider  Reliance Communications is the flagship company of the Anil Dhirubhai Ambani Group (ADAG) of companies. Its range of services cover broadband, national and international long distance services and data services along with an exhaustive range of value-added services and applications.