From Jio, Airtel, VI to Oppo, Realme, Mediatek, companies react to 5G launch in India

Prime Minister Narendra Modi launched 5G services in India, starting today

Network carriers, smartphone brands, and other corporate leaders have expressed optimism with the launch of 5G services in India (Image credit: News9)

Key Highlights
  • Jio aims to deliver 5G to every town, every taluka, and every tehsil of India by December 2023.
  • Bharti Airtel's 5G service will be available in eight cities from Saturday, its chairman Sunil Bharti Mittal said at India Mobile Congress.
  • Realme, which boasts of having launched the first 5G enabled phone, said it has partnered with the leading telcos in India and have curated a host of bundle offers for our users.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi launched 5G services at the at the India Mobile Congress (IMC) 2022 conference. The 5G services will be available in select cities, starting today, and will eventually be rolled out nationwide.  The services will progressively cover the entire country over the next couple of years. “5G marks the dawn of a new era and presents a sea of opportunities,” he said.

While the nation was dependent on foreign countries for technology for 2G, 3G and 4G telecom services, India has created history with 5G, he said.

Here’s how the network carriers, OEMs, tech leaders, and other leaders have reacted to the launch of 5G services around the country. 

Jio

Reliance Jio, the nation’s biggest telecom firm, will expand 5G telephony services offering ultra high-speed internet connectivity to every part of the country by December 2023, its chairman Mukesh Ambani said on Saturday.

Jio had in September 2016 made an entry into the telecom sector, offering free voice calls and dirt-cheap data, forcing the competition to either match or fold up/consolidate.

Ambani has now promised affordable 5G services.

“Today, I want to reiterate Jio’s commitment to deliver 5G to every town, every taluka, and every tehsil of our country by December 2023,” he said at the India Mobile Congress (IMC) conference.

Airtel

Bharti Airtel’s 5G service will be available in eight cities from Saturday, its chairman Sunil Bharti Mittal said at India Mobile Congress. With this, Bharti Airtel has become the first company to launch 5G services in the country.

“When you (Prime Minister) will launch 5G today. 5G from Airtel will be available in 8 cities – Delhi, Mumbai, Varanasi, Bangalore and other cities,” Mittal said.

He also said that Airtel will roll out 5G services in several cities across the country by March 2023 and across India by March 2024.

According to a senior company official, Airtel 5G services will be available at existing 4G rates and a new tariff for 5G will be announced after some time. The officer said the 5G services are also being launched in Chennai, Hyderabad and Siliguri.

Bharti Airtel Chief Technology Officer Randeep Singh Sekhon said that the company’s backend infrastructure is ready. “We need to install some equipment on mobile towers for 5G service. We are doing it gradually. As of today, the service will be available in the area close to towers where the equipment has been installed,” Sekhon added.

Vodafone Idea (VI)

Vodafone Idea, the country’s struggling third telecom player, plans to begin the journey to roll out 5G services, matching rivals Reliance Jio and Bharti Airtel, but the firm has offered no specific timeline for the launch or coverage of the ultra high-speed internet services.

Aditya Birla Group Chairman Kumar Mangalam Birla on Saturday pledged the telco’s commitment to taking India on “the new pace of country’s digital journey” while speaking at the inauguration of India Mobile Congress 2022 and launch of 5G services in the country by Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

“We will soon begin 5G rollout journey. We will leverage our strong presence in rural India, our enterprise customers, our tech partners, and global experience of Vodafone Group for progressively rolling out our 5G network and services in the coming period,” Birla said.

Nokia

Smartphone brand Nokia, from its global experience, said it believes 5G services will provide a strong impetus to socioeconomic growth and industrial development in the country.

“Nokia is committed towards and fully prepared to support our partners in ushering in the 5G era in India. We welcome all measures taken by the Government to facilitate the deployment of 5G technology. Our global experience in 5G rollouts shows that it will provide a strong impetus to socioeconomic growth and industrial development, contributing to the GDP and mission of Digital Bharat,” said Sanjay Malik, Sr. Vice President and Head of India Market, Nokia.

Oppo

Chinese smartphone manufacturer said the launch ‘marks the beginning of a new era for India’s technology landscape.’

“After years of intense preparation, the launch of 5G will unleash new economic opportunities and societal benefits, serving as a transformational force for Indian society. Oppo has been ready to provide its users with a seamless, supercomputing experience with industry partnerships, research, and a wide portfolio of 5G devices across segments. As the 5G pioneers, we are excited that millions of users across the country will finally be able to witness the comprehensive 5G experience we have built over the years. Supreme data download rates, three times greater spectrum efficiency, and super low latency will empower India to experience use cases like seamless video calls, instant downloads and uploads and seamless gaming on the cloud. As an innovator, this also brings a great opportunity, as this will open gates for innovating for next-gen experience from India,” said Tasleem Arif, VP and R&D Head, OPPO India

Realme

Realme, which boasts of having launched the first 5G enabled phone, said it has partnered with the leading telcos in India and have curated a host of bundle offers for our users.

“Realme has always been committed to providing the latest technologies to its users and 5G is one of the recent most exciting developments in our industry. As the first brand to launch a 5G enabled phone, we believe that 5G has the potential to bring together the entire ecosystem, which is why realme has dedicated 90 per cent of its research and development efforts to 5G technologies and devices. With 5G being officially available now, we are looking forward to exploring the numerous opportunities it provides to us and will be directing our efforts into making this technology even more accessible to users,” said Madhav Sheth, CEO realme India, VP, realme and President, realme International Business Group.

“85 per cent of our devices already support SA and 100 per cent of our devices will have full SA support by October. We are also rolling out OTA updates for our devices to ensure that all our users can make the most of 5G.”

MediaTek

Leading smartphone chipset maker MediaTek has a bunch of 5G-ready chipsets already shipping with smartphones. It also added that the 5G rollout in India would accelerate the next wave of digital transformation, and make the country a major hub for cutting-edge semiconductor R&D and design.

“5G will usher in a new wave of opportunities for businesses, unlocking the next level of growth for the country. More than just seamless connectivity and fast speed, 5G technology is going to revolutionize businesses and industries, enhancing advancements, and innovation & R&D while also improving customer experiences. 5G will be a key driver for Digital India initiatives and realizing Design in India opportunities leveraging disruptive technologies like AI, cloud, IoT, and others across the ecosystem. MediaTek congratulates the people of India, and we are extremely proud to be a part of this significant milestone in India’s journey towards atmanirbharta,” said Anku Jain, Managing Director, MediaTek India.

(With inputs from PTI)