Reliance Jio Infocomm is preparing to launch 4G services in no fewer than 800 Indian cities between April and June next year.

According to sources cited in a report earlier this week by the Business Standard, the operator initially plans to offer dongles and mobile WiFi routers, meaning any customer that owns a WiFi-enabled device will be able to access the network without having to buy an expensive 4G smartphone.

Reliance Jio was initially expected to launch services in March.

"We are currently in the process of conducting our service field trials across multiple towns and cities, as well as in-house. During this period, we are introducing our services to small groups of people who will offer us feedback, so that we can develop a robust service platform and then scale up our services," said Reliance Jio, in the report.

Sources claim the company expects to offer real-world speeds of 16 Mbps-18 Mbps, although its network will be capable of theoretical peak connection speeds of up to 50 Mbps. The Business Standard also reported that phase two of Reliance Jio's launch will see it offer fibre-to-the-premises (FTTP) services at speeds of up to 100 Mbps.

Reliance Jio acquired 2.3-GHz spectrum in all 22 of India's telecom circles in May 2010, and picked up 1800-MHz spectrum at auction in February this year. It holds a unified licence, enabling it to offer both mobile voice and data services.

The company has struck a number of tower sharing deals with rival players, helping to speed up its network deployment.