New Delhi:Reliance Communication (RCom) is set to launch its proposed GSM cellular network by the year-end, with five GSM operators agreeing to interconnect their networks with RCom's, a top company official said.

Bharti Airtel, Idea Cellular, Spice Communications, Tata and the state-owned Mahanagar Telephone Nigam (MTNL) will interconnect with RCom's GSM network - much before the Aug 21 deadline set by India's telecom watchdog - a top RCom official told IANS Wednesday on condition of anonymity.

In the past couple of weeks, these GSM players had refused to interconnect with RCom's proposed GSM network.

This meant an RCom subscriber would not have been able to call a Bharti or an Idea subscriber.

The Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI) last week ordered all GSM players to interconnect with RCom before Aug 21.

The Cellular Operators Authority of India (COAI), an association of GSM operators, met Tuesday and decided to file a petition in the Telecom Disputes Settlement and Appellate Tribunal challenging the TRAI order.

COAI director general T.V. Ramachandran told IANS by phone Tuesday that his organisation was exploring legal option. "We will certainly take a call on this," he said.

Ultimately, the COAI did not legally challenge the order.