RCom-Aircel Merger: 5 Key facts you must know

Know how the RCom-Aircel merger will redefine India's telecom industry....

Zee Media Bureau

Anil Ambani-led Reliance Communications has entered into a 90-day exclusive talk to merge its mobile operating business with Aircel to create the India's second-biggest mobile phone operator by user numbers.

The proposal on the table also includes operation of mobile business of three companies -- RCom, MTS and Aircel, under a new entity led by RCom

Here is the key facts related to the RCom-Aircel Merger:

-RCom is India's fourth-biggest telecom operator with almost 110 million customers, while Aircel ranks fifth with 84 million subscribers.

-Merger with Aircel together with buying Russian firm AFK Sistema's Indian wireless unit as announced last month, could nearly double RCom's number of subscribers to more than 200 million. Sistema had 8.36 million users.

- The combination of RCom, Aircel, MTS wireless businesses will hold 19.3 percent of the total spectrum allocated to the industry - the highest in the country by an entity.

-The combination of RCom, Aircel, MTS wireless businesses will hold 19.3 percent of the total spectrum allocated to the industry - the highest in the country by an entity.

-The new entity, which is in the works, will hold spectrum across all allocated bands -- 800 Mhz, 900 Mhz, 1800 Mhz, 2100 Mhz and 2300 MHz -- for 2G, 3G and 4G services.

-With merger of MTS and Aircel, Reliance Communications will become a formidable entity with approximately 200 million subscribers.