These cities currently offer Airtel and Reliance Jio's 5G services
What's the story
Leading telecom companies Bharti Airtel and Reliance Jio launched their fifth-generation network in 2022 and are steadily expanding their coverage across the country.
Users do not have to purchase an additional SIM to access the 5G services provided by either telco since the existing SIM is 5G compatible.
Here's all about Jio True 5G and Airtel 5G Plus services and their availability in India.
Operation
Jio True 5G operates on standalone 5G technology
When comparing both 5G networks, Jio True 5G operates on standalone 5G technology, which provides better download and upload speeds and lower latency. It also covers the 700 MHz low-band spectrum which ensures deep indoor coverage.
On the other hand, Airtel uses non-standalone 5G technology, which utilizes 4G network components. Hence, the download speed and latency are on the lower side.
Jio 5G availability
Jio's 5G rollout began on October 4, 2022
Jio True 5G is currently live in over 70 cities and towns across India. The company commenced its 5G rollout on October 4 last year when it was launched in Mumbai, Delhi, Varanasi, and Kolkata and was later extended to Chennai and Nathdwara.
It was further expanded to Pune, Gurugram, Bengaluru, Noida, Hyderabad, Ghaziabad, Faridabad, and Gujarat in November.
Information
Jio 5G was recently launched in Jaipur, Jodhpur, and Udaipur
In December, Jio 5G was made available to more regions, including Lucknow, Chandigarh, Kochi, Vijaywada, Vishakhapatnam, Mysuru, Trivandrum, Bhopal, and Indore. This month, it became available in Bhubaneswar, Cuttack, Jabalpur, Gwalior, Jaipur, Jodhpur, and Udaipur.
Airtel 5G Plus availability
Airtel launched its 5G Plus service on October 6, 2022
The rollout of the Airtel 5G Plus service began on October 6, 2022. It was first launched in eight cities: Delhi, Chennai, Mumbai, Bengaluru, Hyderabad, Siliguri, Varanasi, and Nagpur.
In November, it was expanded to Gurugram, Panipat, Pune Airport, Varanasi Airport, Patna, and Nagpur Airport.
The service was made available in Lucknow, Imphal, Shimla, Vizag, Ahmedabad, Pune, Jammu, Srinagar, and Gandhinagar in December.
Information
Airtel 5G Plus was recently released in Haryana and Indore
In January 2023, Airtel 5G Plus was made available in Haryana and Indore and is currently live in over 20 cities The company intends to complete the rollout across the whole country by 2024.
Access
Jio is offering unlimited 5G data to its customers
The eligible Jio users will be invited via the Welcome Jio offer to access the 5G network. The company is offering free unlimited 5G data to its users.
Meanwhile, Airtel does not offer unlimited 5G data. Both companies are yet to announce their 5G tariff plans.
In order to access the 5G network, ensure that you have the latest software update on your smartphone.