Airtel is using existing 4G infrastructure for 5G technology, while Jio is working on standalone 5G technology.
5G mobile internet service is being launched in all the cities of the country. Two telecom companies are at the forefront of the 5G race. Jio and Airtel are launching this service. Airtel is using existing 4G infrastructure for 5G technology, while Jio is working on standalone 5G technology. Both the companies intend to deliver 5G across India by the end of 2023. So far 5G services have been launched in 50 different cities of India. Both the telecom companies are rapidly expanding their service coverage.
These companies are focusing on covering metros and megacities before launching networks in smaller towns. Both the companies have introduced 5G network in big cities like Mumbai, Ahmedabad and Delhi. The list of cities with 5G network is now expanding rapidly.
Recently, in response to a question in Parliament, Union Minister Ashwini Vaishnav said that telecom service providers started 5G services in the country from 1 October 2022 and from 26 November 2022, 5G service has started in 50 cities. He also emphasized that both the companies are currently providing 5G service without any extra charge.
Airtel customers can use 5G in areas with 5G support. No invitation is required for this. At the same time, the service of Jio 5G is being offered only to the customers who get the invite. However, to use 5G, people must have a smartphone with 5G support. Jio claims that it is faster and better speed 5G network than Airtel But giving Both the companies claim that they are providing better 5G service to their customers.
Here is the list of cities where 5G is available-
List of cities with Airtel 5G
Airtel 5G is currently available in as many as 12 Indian cities.
- Delhi
- Siliguri
- Bengaluru
- Hyderabad
- Varanasi
- Mumbai
- Nagpur
- Chennai
- Gurugram
- Panipat
- Guwahati
- Patna
Airtel 5G Plus is also available at different airports, including Kempegowda International airport of Bengaluru, Lohegaon airport in Pune, Lal Bahadur Shastri International airport in Varanasi, Babasaheb Ambedkar International Airport in Nagpur, and Jayprakash Narayan Airport in Patna
List of cities with Jio 5G
Jio 5G is available in-
- Delhi NCR
- Mumbai
- Varanasi
- Kolkata
- Bengaluru
- Hyderabad
- Chennai
- Nathdwara
- Pune
- Gurugram
- Noida
- Ghaziabad
- Faridabad
- And in all 33-district headquarters of Gujarat.
Significantly, in India the 5G services are being offered by only two telecom operators- Reliance Jio and Airtel. Both Jio and Airtel are planning to launch 5G Pan India by 2024. Mukesh Ambani headed Jio is also targeting to reach out to significant Indian cities by December 2023.
On the other hand, other telecom operators, including Vodafone Idea (Vi) or BSNL are yet to launch their 5G services. While BSNL is planning to launch 4G services in the start of 2023, followed by 5G in mid or by the end of the next year, Vi is facing financial issues and is working on the same to launch its 5G network in India.
