5G launch in India now has a NEW date, says IT Minister! Know when is it coming

5G services launch in India will now release in early October, says IT Minister. Here is all you need to know.

5G services in India are expected to launch by October 12.  (REUTERS)

The 5G spectrum auctions have been done and the Government of India has already shared the letters for the same. The most popular telecom operators in India have been asked to ready their infrastructure to rollout 5G services in the country as soon as possible. Several report even suggested that Airtel may be rolling out the first 5G networks in India before the end of August 2022. However, based on a new statement from the Union Communications, Electronics and Information Technology Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw, 5G could be releasing by October 12 in India.

In a report from PTI, the Minister said, “We are planning to roll out 5G services rapidly. The telecom operators are working in that regard and installations are being done. Hopefully, we should be launching 5G services by October 12 and then would further scale up in cities and towns. We will ensure that it remains affordable. The industry is focusing on both urban as well as rural areas.”

5G services to come by October 12

Previously, it was said that 5G services will be provided in 13 Indian cities at first. The list of cities includes Ahmedabad, Bengaluru, Chandigarh, Chennai, Delhi, Gandhinagar, Gurugram, Hyderabad, Jamnagar, Kolkata, Lucknow, Mumbai, and Pune.

It is also said that 5G in India could have similar affordable prices to the 4G plans, although Vodafone Idea has hinted at charging a premium for these faster services. 5G services are said to be almost 10 times faster than the current 4G LTE services and the connection reliability could be stronger as well.

What remains to be seen is when do 5G networks start mushrooming in India. Airtel has been hinting about releasing the first 5G networks from August itself. Vodafone Idea is yet to announce any dates but it has been informing its customers of the same. Reliance Jio, the biggest spender at the 5G spectrum auctions, is yet to make any announcements regarding the 5G rollout date. However, we expect to see some announcements at the upcoming Reliance AGM event, which could also oversee announcements of the JioPhone 5G and JioPhone Next 5G.