The Telecom Regulatory Authority of India on Friday notified that the Anil Ambani-led Reliance Communications will shut down its voice call service from December 1, PTI reported.
In its direction to all telecom operators, the regulator said that Reliance Communications had intimated it on October 31 that the company “shall provide only 4G data services to its customers and as a result will discontinue to provide voice services to the subscribers...with effect from December 1, 2017.”
Reliance Communications told the regulatory body that it will be upgrading the code-division multiple access system – one of the two major radio systems used in cellphones – network of Sistema Shyam Teleservices, with which it merged on October 31. This will allow the company to provide 4G services in Delhi, Rajasthan, Uttar Pradesh West, Tamil Nadu, Kerala, Karnataka, West Bengal, Gujarat and Kolkata.
It has also told TRAI that it has sent all the necessary information to customers regarding the closure of voice calls along with options to avail of the services of other carriers if they do not wish to continue with RCom’s 4G data services.
The company, burdened with a debt of around Rs 46,000 crore, took the decision after its merger deal with Aircel did not materialise earlier this month. The regulatory body has said that Reliance’s subscribers have to port out to other telecom operators by December 31.
The loss-making telecom company is also facing a bond coupon deadline on Monday after it halted payments to lenders, Bloomberg reported.
Meanwhile, Brookfield Infrastructure, an asset management company, has called off its $200-million deal (Rs 1.29 thousand crore) with Reliance Communications since it was dependent on the telecom company’s merger with Aircel, the Economic Times reported.
Limited-time offer: Big stories, small price. Keep independent media alive. Become a Scroll member today!
Our journalism is for everyone. But you can get special privileges by buying an annual Scroll Membership. Sign up today!