Reliance Jio Seeking DOT's Permission For 5G Testing In Lab

Reliance Jio is reportedly planning to do 5G testing alone in India. The operator is looking for the Department of Telecommunication approval for the 5G testing in the lab.

The operator wants to do testing alone. This means that Reliance Jio is not taking help from any network gear maker to do the 5G trials. "We are looking at the Reliance Jio proposal and a call will be taken soon," sources in DoT were quoted by Financial Express.

However, there is an announcement from the operator's side. It is worth mentioning that in the lab testing the non-radiating trials are limited to that particular area, where the testing is going on. The report said that there is no need for 5G airwaves for the testing. But, Reliance Jio requires permission from the ministry.

Furthermore, Reliance Jio, Airtel, and Vodafone-Idea have asked the ministry for the 5G trials, but still, DOT has not given any approval for the trials.

Apart from telecom operators, network gear makers, such as Nokia, ZTE, Samsung, Ericsson, and Huawei have applied for the 5G trials in India. For the unaware, in 2019, the ministry has announced guidelines for 5G trials.

Reliance Jio Might 2.32% Stake To Saudi Arabia's PIF

Meanwhile, India's largest telecom operator is likely to sell its 2.32 percent stake to Saudi Arabia's PIF for $1.5 billion, reports Gulf News. If the deal goes through, then Reliance Industries will have only a 75 percent stake in Jio platforms.

This development comes after Jio sold its stake to TPG and L Catterton for Rs. 6,441 crore. "This investment values Jio Platforms at an equity value of Rs. 4.91 lakh crore and an enterprise value of Rs. 5.16 lakh crore. With this investment, Jio Platforms has raised Rs.104,326.95 crore from leading global investors including Facebook, Silver Lake, Vista Equity Partners, General Atlantic, KKR, Mubadala, ADIA, TPG, and L Catterton since April 22, 2020," Reliance Jio said.