By Juan Pedro Tomás
Indian operator Reliance Jio Infocomm has launched its 5G service in two new cities in the country, according to local press reports.
The telco said that 5G has been already activated in Chennai and in Nathdwara. This new cities adds to the current four cities in which the telco already launched a beta trial of 5G technologies.
“5G cannot remain an exclusive service to the privileged few or those in our largest cities. It must be available to every citizen, every home, and every business across India. We have powered the first True5G-enabled Wi-Fi service at the holy town of Nathdwara and the temple of Lord Srinathji,” said Reliance Jio Infocomm’s chairman Akash Ambani.
The Indian operator also said that it has launched 5G-powered Wi-Fi services in high footfall areas like educational institutes, religious places, railway stations, bus stands and commercial hubs.
Earlier this month, Reliance Jio Infocomm announced the launch of the beta trial of its 5G services in Mumbai, Delhi, Kolkata and Varanasi. “The beta trial service for other cities will be announced progressively as cities keep getting ready. Users will continue to avail of this trial until the network coverage of a city is substantially complete to provide the best coverage and user experience to every customer,” the carrier had said in a release.
Last month, Reliance Jio Infocomm announced 5G contracts with Nordic vendors Ericsson and Nokia. The deal with Ericsson marks the first partnership between Jio and Ericsson for radio access network deployment in the country.
In a release, Ericsson said that its energy-efficient 5G Radio Access Network (RAN) products and solutions and E-band microwave mobile transport solutions will be deployed in Jio’s 5G network.
In a separate release, Nokia said that it has been selected as a major supplier by Reliance Jio to supply 5G Radio Access Network equipment from its AirScale portfolio countrywide in a multi-year deal.
Reliance Jio, India’s largest operator in terms of subscriber had previously secured a mix of wireless spectrum for 5G across 700MHz, 3.5GHz, and 26 GHz bands. Jio is the only operator with the 700 MHz low-band spectrum.
India’s Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi officially announced the start of the 5G era in the country on October 1, as part of the ongoing India Mobile Congress event.
Over 200 Indian cities are expected to get 5G service in the next six months, and 5G services could be available in 80-90 per cent of the country in the next 2 years. https://www.rcrwireless.com
