5G will be available in Hyderabad shortly; Here is what you need to know

Hyderabad: Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Saturday announced the commercial rollout of 5G services in India at the India Mobile Congress 2022. Hyderabad, Ahmedabad, Bengaluru, Chandigarh, Chennai, Delhi, Gandhinagar, Gurugram, Jamnagar, Kolkata, Lucknow, Mumbai and Pune will be among the first cities to get 5G services. A telecom company official said it would take about two weeks to begin the actual rollout in Hyderabad. The testing phase was completed. Of course, there is no word on the tariffs yet. The official said 5G would start gaining numbers by Diwali.

Fifth-generation wireless (5G) is the latest cellular technology. It will increase the speed and responsiveness of wireless networks. Latency, the delay that users experience in the network, will be low. If latency is high, the network will be less responsive and slower. There will be a sharp increase in the amount of data transmitted over wireless systems due to more available bandwidth and advanced antenna technology. 5G is expected to generate new applications, uses and business cases.

Who needs 5G?

5G will provide the bandwidth to enjoy high-definition video streaming, mobile gaming, and video calling on the go. Multiple devices can be used without any worry about the connection slowing down. While it will be tempting to get a 5G connection due to curiosity or because of peer pressure, the answer lies in what you want from your internet connection and at what price.

Many want improved mobile service, a reliable connection and better indoor coverage. 5G speeds will be about 7-10 times higher than 4G.

Is your phone 5G ready?

The first of the 5G phones came to India in 2019. If it says 5G anywhere, the phone supports 5G. It it not, you should buy a new handset. Most Android phones and latest iPhones (iPhone 12 and later models), support 5G. For many users, a 5G upgrade could be as simple as purchasing a new mobile plan. Many mobile makers are looking to bring them in the Rs.10,000-15,000 price band to appeal to many.

Should you buy a 5G phone?

Metros will get the coverage first. If you live in New Delhi, Mumbai, Kolkata, Chennai, Hyderabad, or Bengaluru, you could consider a 5G phone. Ahmedabad, Lucknow, Chandigarh, Vijayawada, Visakhapatnam and Gurugram will get 5G soon. Jio claims to have completed 5G coverage planning in the top 100 Indian cities. Airtel has plans to cover all towns and cities by 2024.

Key bands?

Along with a 5G-ready phone, one needs to check what 5G bands the phone supports. That information is available on the retail box of the phone. The telecom companies have acquired 5G spectrum in low, mid and high bands. The low band has a 700MHz spectrum, also known as n28. The mid-band has 3500MHz, called n78. Nearly all 5G phones support the n78 band. n28 is likely to be in more expensive 5G phones. That is because 700MHz is meant for standalone 5G services, or SA 5G. The high-band has a 26GHz spectrum called mmWave and n258. Only a handful of phones will support this and is unlikely to be available to consumers, at least initially. 5G capability aside, display, processor, camera, and the battery capacity all play a role in enhancing the experience.

Types of services

Jio 5G will be a standalone network with zero dependency on its 4G network. The True 5G network can offer services at low latency. This is ideal for massive machine-to-machine communication, 5G voice, edge computing and network slicing, and metaverse, among others. Jio has acquired 5G spectrums in the 3500 MHz mid-band segment, which is globally earmarked for 5G, and the 26 GHz millimeter-wave band for ultra-high capacity. The 700 MHz low-band spectrum is essential for deep indoor coverage.

Airtel has acquired 19,867.8 MHz frequencies in the 3500 MHz and 26 GHz bands in addition to select radio waves in the low and mid-band spectrum for a total investment of 43,040 crore. Airtel will use a non-standalone (NSA) 5G. It said this will offer wider coverage and can work with more devices while allowing the use of existing 4G technology at no extra cost.