India is extremely close to launching 5G services. The telecom operators have made the spectrum-related payment to the Department of Telecommunications (DoT), and they will now receive the spectrum. Telecom Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw shared on Koo that TSPs (Telecom Service Providers) should now prepare for the 5G launch as the spectrum assignment letter has been issued.
Everything's happening pretty fast. Bharti Enterprises Chairman, Sunil Bharti Mittal, has also praised the telecom department for its pace of getting things done. The PMO had also maintained pressure on the telecom department to get things done in a timely order, and it is a great thing for the growing digital economy of India.
Airtel and Jio Expected to Launch 5G Services this Month; Vi Could Too
The last leg of August 2022 is almost here. There isn't much time left for the month to be over now. Airtel had said that it is going to launch 5G services in August itself. It was an encouraging sign for the telco's investors and the consumers. Jio's Chairman Akash Ambani had also hinted at an August launch.
Well, the thing is that Reliance Industries Limited is soon going to hold its Annual General Meet (AGM). The AGM of RIL is scheduled for August 29, 2022. Jio's 5G launch and other services and products related to that could be announced during that day only. Vodafone Idea (Vi) also has access to the 5G spectrum now that it has paid spectrum dues to DoT. Thus, Vi could also launch 5G in August itself.
Limited 5G to be Available Initially
Initially, the telcos might not go too aggressive with launching 5G. It could be a soft launch in August. There are reports online which suggest that major 5G launches in India will take place around December 2022. All the Indian telcos have been working on developing 5G use cases and integrating the best technology possible on their 5G networks to ensure that they can offer the best of 5G to their consumers as and when they launch the services.
It will be interesting to see how Adani Data Networks will approach the 5G competition in the country. For the unaware, Adani Group company had purchased 5G airwaves worth Rs 212 crore during the recently concluded 5G spectrum auction.
