Reliance Jio confirmed that its 5G service will be offered through 5G StandAlone architecture
Indian telco Reliance Jio Infocomm announced the launch of the beta trial of its 5G services in Mumbai, Delhi, Kolkata and Varanasi.
“The Beta trial service for other cities will be announced progressively as cities keep getting ready. Users will continue to avail of this Beta trial until the network coverage of a city is substantially complete to provide the best coverage and user experience to every customer,” the carrier said in a release.
The company confirmed that its 5G service will be offered through 5G StandAlone architecture. The telco will offer 5G through a mix of wireless spectrum across the 700 MHz, 3.5 GHz and 26 GHz bands.
Akash Ambani, chairman of Reliance Jio Infocomm, said: “Our Prime Minister has given a clarion call for accelerated rollout of 5G across India to realize the full potential of a Digital India. In response, Jio has prepared an ambitious and the fastest ever 5G rollout plan for a country of our size.
“5G cannot remain an exclusive service available to those in our largest cities. It must be available to every citizen, every home, and every business across India. Only then can we dramatically increase productivity, earnings, and living standards across our entire economy, thereby creating a prosperous and inclusive society in our country,” Ambani added.
Jio also said it is working with all handset brands to enable their 5G handsets to work seamlessly with its 5G offering.
India’s Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi officially announced the start of the 5G era in the country on October 1, as part of the ongoing India Mobile Congress event.
Over 200 Indian cities are expected to get 5G service in the next six months, and 5G services could be available in 80-90% of the country in the next 2 years.
The 5G spectrum auction in India concluded on August 1 and local carriers purchased a total $19 billion worth of spectrum.
The first telco to launch 5G in India was Bharti Airtel, which has activated its 5G services in eight cities with plans to progressively cover the entire country by March 2024. Some of the cities where Airtel already offers 5G include Delhi, Mumbai, Varanasi and Bangalore.
Bharti Airtel will use equipment from Ericsson, Nokia and Samsung for the provision of 5G services. The Indian operator had secured a total of 19,800 megahertz of spectrum in the 900 MHz, 1.8 GHz, 2.1 GHz, 3.3 GHz and 26 GHz bands in a recent auction carried out by the Indian government.
