Only two of India's three largest telecom providers now offer 5G services in the nation. These are Jio and Airtel. Jio's True 5G network is a standalone (SA) network in contrast to Airtel's 5G Plus service, which is a non-standalone (NSA) that uses the infrastructure of the current 4G network.
Reliance Jio has already reached several cities with 5G. The list of cities includes - Delhi, Mumbai, Chennai, Hyderabad, Bengaluru, Kolkata, Varanasi, Nathdwara, Gujarat (33 District Headquarters), Pune, Gurugram, Noida, Ghaziabad, and Faridabad. While Airtel 5G is in Delhi, Mumbai, Chennai, Bengaluru, Hyderabad, Siliguri, Guwahati, Panipat, Pune (Only Airport is covered), Nagpur, Varanasi, and Gurugram.
Jio 5G and Airtel 5G
In Nathdwara, Jio has begun offering Wi-Fi powered by 5G. By the end of this year, Jio hopes to expand its coverage to other major towns, and by 2023, it plans to roll out 5G across the entire India. The Airtel network, on the other hand, is anticipated to expand by December. In two to three years, Airtel hopes to offer 5G networks all over India.
Users who are currently using a 4G SIM will not need to purchase a new sim for 5G, according to both operators. Once 5G is available in their location, their current SIM will support the new network and connect to it. Nearly all smartphones with 5G capabilities are compatible with the Jio and Airtel 5G networks. The OTA (over-the-air) upgrades are available for 5G cellphones that do not support the network. The devices will begin supporting the available 5G network as soon as all the makers release their OTA upgrades.
Through the use of a 5G Welcome Offer, Reliance Jio provides 5G services to a chosen group of consumers. On the other hand all of Airtel's customers have access to 5G, but only if they own a smartphone that is 5G compatible and reside in areas where the 5G network is available.