Samsung strikes Rs 7,500 crore deal with Reliance Jio Infocomm for 4G LTE network

Samsung has teamed up with Mukesh Ambani’s Reliance Jio Infocomm to mark its debut in the base transceiver station (BTS) space in India, reports DNA. Base transceiver station allow wireless communication between devices like phones, computers and a network. Samsung has signed its first contract with Jio Infocomm to supply active BTS infrastructure for 4G networks in the country. 

The contract is reportedly worth $1.2 billion (approximately Rs 7,500 crore) for 70,000 BTS pan India. Out of this, Samsung has supplied around 14,000 BTS to Reliance, so far. In another deal, Samsung will also provide smartphones and tablets capable of using Jio Infocomm’s 4G network.

Bringing 4G LTE to India soon…

Earlier we had heard that Reliance Jio Infocomm wanted Samsung to provide 4G devices at Rs 5,000. However, it is believed that Samsung refused to deliver the device at a price lower than Rs 8,500. Karbonn and Micromax are also known to be testing 4G LTE devices with Reliance Jio Infocomm.

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Currently, only Airtel is offering 4G services in India, but via data cards. We’ve been hearing about Reliance 4G launch plans for a while now. It is expected roll out the services in the next two months. Samsung is likely to supply 1,200 BTS for its Guwahati 4G launch. Reliance is also expected to make 4G announcements for Mumbai and Delhi soon.