Reliance 4G services as low as Rs 10 for 1GB, for Broadband and Tablets

Reliance Industries Ltd. (RIL) plans to offer high speed data services  by 2012-end on on attractively priced tablets. RIL plans to launch tablets at around Rs 3,500 and bundle it with data offering as low as 1 GB at Rs 10, a tenth of the current 3G prices.

The company had earlier planned to launch services by mid of this year on data cards that could be plugged into computers and laptops. The RIL services is based on fourth generation, or 4G, technology which offers faster internet access compared to third generation (3G) services.  RIL's entry and price disruption could therefore nullify the business case for 3G for existing mobile operators, all of whom on an average offer 1 GB of downloads for Rs 100 at present. 

It will be launching services based on Qualcomm's long term evolution, or LTE, technology, which is currently in test phase. Global majors like Vodafone, Verizon and Telenor have deployed LTE networks in some developed markets. While subsidizing devices will be main pillar of RIL's upcoming 4G mobile services offerings, the company is also analyzing lessons from its previous foray into mobile services that they launched in the year 2003, where they charged Rs 501 as the entry fees. 


Reliance Industries is launching the services via its subsidiary Infotel Broadband Services and a partnership with HFCL (Hindustan Futuristic Communications Ltd.). HFCL will handle the ground work where as Infotel Broadband will focus on key aspects of the network and monitor the rollout  


Earlier this year, It had acquired 30% stake in TV18 group by investing Rs 1500 cr in the company. Reliance has exclusive rights to content from 30 channels and web properties from the company. It can now include the content from these channels with its 4G services.