Is 5G Going to Launch in India?
During the last week, I have been getting a lot of questions rajkotupdates.news:pm-modi-india-plans-to-launch-5g-services-soon regarding the launch of 5G network in India. So, I thought of writing an article that would help you understand the issue.
Reliance Jio
Earlier this year, Prime Minister Narendra Modi announced the launch of 5G telephone services in India. He also shared his vision for Aatmanirbhar Bharat by 2022.
Reliance Jio has acquired 700 MHz spectrum in the recently concluded auction. These airwaves will help Jio to build a standalone 5G network. Jio has also completed network coverage planning for top 1,000 cities in the country. Jio is also working with all handset brands to enable seamless 5G connectivity.
The company plans to start its 5G rollout in tier-1 and tier-2 cities by the end of this year. Jio has also partnered with tech giants like Nokia and Ericsson to strengthen its 5G proposition.
Reliance Jio has committed to spending Rs 2 lakh crore on building a pan-India 5G network. The company plans to add 5,000 to 6,000 5G sites per week in the next three to four months. Jio has also announced a long-term strategic contract with Ericsson.
Jio has also announced its new fixed wireless access network, Jio AirFiber, which will act as a personal Wi-Fi hotspot. Jio plans to connect 100 million locations with Jio AirFiber.
Airtel
During the India Mobile Congress, Bharti Airtel announced the rollout of 5G services in eight cities. The company claims that its new services will deliver download speeds of up to 30 times faster than its existing 4G network. The company plans to bring its 5G network across India by March 2024.
To ensure that customers get the best possible 5G experience, Airtel has teamed up with cloud giant Oracle. The two companies will use Oracle’s cloud technology to roll out 5G services in a phased manner. The company also has a strategic partnership with Baahubali-2, India’s biggest and most ambitious Hollywood movie.
Airtel has also taken steps to ensure that customers can enjoy high-speed 5G internet even if their phones aren’t 5G ready. The company will notify its customers if their phone is compatible with 5G, and will enable customers to check whether they have access to the new network through its Thanks App.
In addition to 5G services, Airtel has also introduced a new service that will offer customers high-speed Internet through its V-Fiber technology. The V-Fiber technology will allow 4G data speeds up to 135 Mbps on commercial handsets. It will also allow Airtel customers to enjoy a great online experience in a multi-device environment.
BSNL
BSNL is going to launch 5G in India, according to IT Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw. She said that the state-run telco will launch services by August 2023. BSNL is the country’s sole operator providing 3G services, but the company is slowly transitioning to 4G.
Vaishnaw said that the transition from 4G to 5G would be quick. She said that in a year’s time, BSNL will be able to provide services in over 200 Indian cities. BSNL’s 5G network will use a non-standalone architecture, meaning that it will use existing network infrastructure.
BSNL will launch 5G services over the 4G core, which will be implemented with help of homegrown technologies. The state-run telco is rumoured to be working with IT giant TCS on this project. It is also believed that Tata Communications has signed a deal with BSNL to develop and roll out a 5G core platform. The company is also rumoured to be evaluating the feasibility of 5G use cases in areas where latency is a concern.
Vodafone Idea
During India Mobile Congress 2022, Vodafone Idea showcased multiple use cases of its 5G network. The company also announced a partnership with Paris-based caregame, which will develop mobile gaming technology to make popular genres like mobile gaming and gaming on the internet accessible to Vi users. The partnership will allow users to enjoy AAA mobile gaming without downloading.
However, Vodafone Idea is the only private operator in India without a 5G service. Reliance Jio has already announced plans to launch its commercial services in India before Diwali. It plans to cover the country with 5G networks in 18 months, while Bharti Airtel will cover all cities with 5G by March 2024.
Vodafone Idea is in talks with several banks to secure funding. It is planning to convert Rs 160 billion of interest liability into equity. This would give the Indian government a 33 per cent stake in the company.
The company has acquired 26GHz and 3300MHz spectrum in 17 circles, while the 4G spectrum in 3 circles has already been acquired. This will enable Vodafone Idea to offer 5G services to clients. It has also established partnerships with vendors to showcase 5G networks.
