5G Likely to Launch in India Next Month, Rollout Expected in 13 Cities in First Phase

Major telecom operators such as Reliance Jio, Airtel, and Vi (formerly Vodafone-idea) are already working on hardware to roll out their 5G services in the country. Telecoms Minister Ashwini Vaishnav has previously said 5G services will eventually be rolled out to everyone. of the year. Now, a new report from The Hindu BusinessLine reveals that Prime Minister Narendra Modi will officially launch the 5G network at the opening of the India Mobile Congress (IMC) on September 29. The Indian government has not officially announced the launch. 5G date yet, but the telecoms secretary said the rollout will happen sometime in October. This is in line with the schedule of the IMC event. Therefore, late next month the Prime Minister may officially announce the launch of 5G services.

The government recently completed the 5G spectrum auction and is already in the process of approving and allocating the spectrum to telecom networks bidding. India Spectrum’s 5G auction has been valued at Rs 1.5 crore lakh. Adani Data Network also took part in the auction this time alongside the three largest telecom giants Reliance Jio, Airtel, and Vi. Bharti Airtel has previously said it will start rolling out the 5G network in India at the end of August, announcing partnerships with tech companies including Samsung, Nokia, and Ericsson. On the other hand, other reports indicate that on the 75th of Independence Day (August 15), Reliance will also unveil its 5G. As for pricing, 5G pricing in India is expected to be competitive compared to the rest of the world. Contrary to what was previously reported, 5G plans in India are expected to be at the same price as 4G plans. As such, 5G plans can be aggressively priced at first for a quick rollout. In the first phase, 5G services will be rolled out in 13 cities, including Ahmedabad, Bengaluru, Chandigarh, Chennai, Delhi, Gandhinagar, Gurugram, Hyderabad, Jamnagar, Kolkata, Lucknow, Mumbai, and Pune. The 5G spectrum auction has just ended. by the government and the process of approving and allocating the spectrum to the telecommunications networks they offer is currently underway. 5G spectrum auction in India costs 1.5 lakh crore.

In terms of cost, India’s 5G costs should be reasonable when compared to the rest of the world. Contrary to earlier reports, 5G plans in India are anticipated to be priced similarly to 4G rates. Therefore, it’s probable that the 5G plans will have aggressively low beginning prices to encourage rapid uptake. 13 cities, including Ahmedabad, Bengaluru, Chandigarh, Chennai, Delhi, Gandhinagar, Gurugram, Hyderabad, Jamnagar, Kolkata, Lucknow, Mumbai, and Pune, would receive 5G services in the first phase.