How Leading Telcos Are Planning for 5G Network in India
As leading telcos are gearing up to deploy their 5G offerings, enterprises are also upbeat on the benefits of the fifth-generation technology.
India’s largest telcos Bharti-Airtel and Reliance Jio are spearheading the 5G revolution in India. As leading network providers are gearing up to deploy their 5G offerings, enterprises are also upbeat on the benefits of the fifth-generation technology.
Airtel recently announced that the company had become the country’s first telecom company to successfully demonstrate and orchestrate Live 5G service over a commercial network in Hyderabad city.
This feat was made possible with the use of Airtel’s existing spectrum in the 1800 MHz band, via the NSA network technology.
During the demonstration and the company found that Airtel seamlessly operated 5G and 4G concurrently within the same spectrum block. The development is considered to be a first of its kind, dynamic spectrum sharing.
Following the demonstration, Airtel declared the company’s network’s 5G readiness across all domains, Radio, Core and Transport. Commenting on the latest development, Gopal Vittal, MD & CEO, Bharti Airtel said, “I am very proud of our engineers who have worked tirelessly to showcase this incredible capability in Tech City, Hyderabad. Every one of our investments is future-proofed as this game-changing test in Hyderabad proves. With Airtel being the first operator to demonstrate this capability, we have shown again that we have always been the first in India to pioneer new technologies in our quest for empowering Indians everywhere.”
“We believe India has the potential to become a global hub for 5G innovation. To make that happen, we need the ecosystem to come together – applications, devices and network innovation. We are more than ready to do our bit,” added Vittal.
Meanwhile, Reliance group chairman Mukesh Ambani during an inaugural speech at the India Mobile Congress 2020 conducted in December, shared his ideas to make India the world’s preeminent digital society with ease of living for all, as reported by Business Standard.
He said that the country is among the best digitally connected nations in the world. To maintain the lead, policy steps are needed to accelerate an early rollout of 5G. The company is committed to making it affordable and available everywhere.
Reportedly, Airtel said, its 5G can deliver 10x speeds, 10x latency and 100 times concurrency as compared to the existing technologies in the market.
A Nutanix study observed that Hyderabad users could download a full-length movie in a matter of seconds on a 5G phone. However, the 5G experience’s full impact will be available to our customers, when the adequate spectrum is available, and government approvals received.
Last but not the least, Vi also announced that it is gearing up for the 5G network in the country. In fact, the company is upgrading its existing network to offer proper 4G in all circles. Additionally, the telecom operator has stopped offering 3G services in many circles. However, its participation in the upcoming spectrum auction is still not confirmed as it is struggling with debt issues.
As the leading networks offer 5G to customers and businesses, Nutanix reveal that 5G network won’t be as simple as switching to a new network provider or contract.
Similar to all new technologies, 5G hardware will be more expensive than 4G hardware. Businesses will have to be 5G ready equipment on hand to remain competitive when a full-scale launch of the technology occurs.
5G will also facilitate advances in artificial intelligence, automation, and IoT. With the advancements, however, companies will face challenges in collecting, storing and usage of that data. So investment in analytics tools will be essential.
5G will also facilitate the education sector as well. It can help businesses understand how the network’s benefits can support business goals, improve customer experience, and drive growth.
Faster speeds and lower latency must result in an influx of new automation and AI technologies. Businesses will rely on mobile networks more than ever. As a result, the companies will have to work with IT specialists to redesign and streamline core operations.
When 5G does become widely available, we can expect immense opportunities for the technology just like we have with the launch of every generation of mobile networks.
