Reliance, Airtel to Share Infrastructure?

In a move that marks the beginning of collaborations between rival telecoms in the country, CDMA operator, Reliance Communications is in talks with Bharti Airtel to share infrastructure in over 2000 cell sites across the country.

The move will help both telecom operators to drastically cut down on infrastructure costs and hence levy cheaper tariffs to their respective customers.

A recent decision taken by the Indian Government and telecom operators, as part of a project called Mobile Operators' Shared Tower (MOST) has prompted the talks between Reliance and Bharti. Considering the fact that there are as many as six operators in some States, it accounts to around 70,000 l network towers. Moreover, industry analysts have predicted that another 1.4 lakh towers will be required by 2007 at a cost of Rs 25,000 crore to cater to the growing cellular subscriber base in the country.

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In such a scenario, it is logical for telecom networks to collaborate, not just from the point of view of cutting down on excessive infrastructure, but also maintaining the aesthetics of the cities.

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