5G services have finally started in India. Yesterday (Oct. 1), the Prime Minister of India, Narendra Modi, was at the India Mobile Congress (IMC) to launch commercial 5G services in the country. Airtel 5G, Reliance Jio, and Vi are the first telecom operators in the country to confirm when their 5G services will be available.
The rollout of 5G in India will be phased out over time. Among the first cities to receive the 5G network are Ahmedabad, Bengaluru, Chandigarh, Chennai, Delhi, Gandhinagar, Gurugram, Hyderabad, Jamnagar, Kolkata, Lucknow, Mumbai, Pune, Siliguri, and Varanasi.
5G rollout plan:
Airtel’s 5G network is now available in eight cities, including Bangalore, Chennai, Delhi, Hyderabad, Mumbai, Nagpur, Siliguri, and Varanasi. In March 2024, 5G services will be available across India, and more cities will be added by March 2023.
By Diwali (Oct. 24), Jio’s 5G services will be available. First, it will be available in Delhi, Kolkata, Mumbai, and Chennai. The company plans to roll out 5G across the country by December 2023.
The 5G rollout timeline has not yet been confirmed by Vi. More details about the telecom operator’s 5G plans should be revealed soon. From Aug. 15, 2023, BSNL will offer 5G services.
No 5G tariffs or pricing have been announced by the above-mentioned telecom operators. Jio, however, claims that its 5G plans will be affordable. In the country, Reliance Jio plans to launch a 5G ultra-affordable phone. Jio Phone 5G specifications were revealed in a recent report.
To connect to a 5G network, users must have a 5G phone. Airtel has announced that its existing SIMs are 5G-ready. Therefore, the existing 4G SIM does not need to be replaced. In terms of pricing, Airtel confirmed that 4G rates will apply to its 5G services for the time being. Later, the company will confirm the new 5G tariffs.
