Mumbai: Reliance Jio Infocomm Ltd will lead the rollout of 5G technology in India, rolling out the service in the second half of 2021, said Reliance Industries Ltd (RIL) President Mukesh Ambani. The solution for the fifth-generation wireless service will be built indigenously, Ambani added.
Ambani, who spoke at the fourth edition of the Mobile Congress of India, said that the country requires policy developments for the early implementation of 5G services.
“I assure you that Jio will pioneer the 5G revolution in India in the second half of 2021. It will be driven by locally developed networking, hardware and technology components,” Ambani said.
While Reliance Jio has been talking about a 5G launch as soon as the spectrum is sold, rivals Bharti Airtel Ltd and Vodafone Idea Ltd believe the technology is at least two years away as India doesn’t have the ecosystem and the reserve price of the spectrum is expensive.
In October, Jio Platforms Ltd announced that it is working with US-based Qualcomm Inc. to develop 5G solutions and accelerate efforts to bring the high-speed network to the world’s second-largest mobile market by subscribers.
Ambani, at RIL’s 43rd Annual General Meeting in July, said: “Jio has developed a complete 5G solution from the ground up. This will allow us to launch a world-class 5G service in India using 100% proprietary technology and solution. “
He said that the ‘made in India’ solution will be ready for field deployment next year, and Jio will be able to easily upgrade its 4G network to 5G due to the telecom company’s converged network infrastructure.
5G technology will allow users to experience faster data speeds, low latency communications, and enhanced digital experiences on connected devices such as smartphones, business laptops, virtual and augmented reality products, and Internet of Things (IoT) solutions.
Raised Jio Platforms ₹1.52 trillion investors like Google Inc. and Facebook in just four months this year to achieve their digital goals. Qualcomm Ventures, the investment arm of Qualcomm Inc., has also invested ₹730 crore in Jio Platforms for a 0.15% stake.
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