5G telecom services were launched in India on Saturday during the India Mobile Congress event in Delhi. Representatives of three major telecom providers in the country – Reliance Jio, Bharti Airtel and Vodafone Idea (Vi) – were also present. Following Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s announcement, the three companies also revealed their initial plans for 5G rollout in India. Reliance and Airtel have also launched 5G services in select cities. However, Vi has not announced a specific timeline for launching its 5G services.
Jio 5G in India
Reliance Jio’s 5G services will initially be rolled out in four metro cities of Delhi, Mumbai, Chennai and Kolkata by Diwali. Chairman Mukesh Ambani promised affordable 5G services across India by December 2023. Ambani claims that Jio plans to be the first company to roll out high-quality and affordable 5G services anywhere in the world.
Most of Jio’s 5G technology is reportedly developed in India. Due to its affordability, a high standard of education and skill development is expected in the understanding of the common Indian. This technology may be essential to transform AI, IoT, robotics, blockchain, the metaverse and more.
Airtel 5G in India
Airtel 5G has been launched in eight cities namely Delhi, Mumbai, Varanasi, Bangalore, Chennai, Hyderabad, Siliguri and Ahmedabad. More cities will get these services by March 2023, with pan-India coverage by March 2024. The telco has mentioned that it is in the process of gradually installing 5G towers in the mentioned cities. Initially, 5G service will be available only near these towers.
Airtel officials have confirmed that the 5G service is being launched at the existing 4G rates. The telecom provider plans to increase the 5G tariff after some time. However, customers must have a 5G phone to access these services.
Vi 5G in India
Vi was the only company of the three to refrain from launching 5G services on Saturday. The telco has expressed its desire to bring 5G services to its customers soon. It plans to gradually roll out its 5G network and services in the country, leveraging its strong presence in rural areas, enterprise customers and tech partners. Vi has over 240 million subscribers in India, 50 percent of which are rural. The telco has continuously upgraded its network to enable a smooth migration to 5G.
In an earlier statement, Realme CEO Madhav Sheth confirmed that they have started rolling out OTA updates for their devices to ensure compatibility with 5G technology. Other smartphone brands are expected to release similar updates for their devices as well.
