The chairman of Reliance Industries Limited, Mukesh Ambani, said that Reliance Jio Infocomm Ltd would lead the rollout of 5G technology in India, launching it in the second half 2021. The solution will be designed indigenously for the fifth-generation wireless service, Ambani said.
On speaking at the fourth edition of India Mobile Congress, Ambani said the country wants regulatory developments for 5G networks to be launched early.
Mukesh Ambani assured that Jio would launch the 5G revolution in India by the end of 2021. And that indigenous-developed networks, hardware, and technology modules would power it.
Although Reliance Jio spoke of a 5G launch as soon as spectrum is sold, rivals Bharti Airtel Ltd and Vodafone Concept Ltd claim that the technology is at least two years away because the ecosystem is not in India and the spectrum reservation price is high.
Jio Platforms Ltd revealed in October that it is partnering with US-based Qualcomm Inc. to develop 5G solutions and step up efforts to carry the high-speed network to the second-largest subscriber broadband market in the world.
In July, at RIL’s 43rd annual general meeting, Ambani said, “Jio has developed a complete 5G solution from scratch. This will enable us to launch a world class 5Gworld-class India using a 100% homegrown technology and solution”.
He said that the ‘Made in India’ solution would be ready for field rollout next year, and owing to the converged network infrastructure of the telco, Jio will be able to upgrade its 4G network to 5G quickly. Users will enjoy higher download rates, reduced latency connectivity, and improved digital environments through mobile devices such as tablets, business notebooks, augmented and virtual reality products, and applications for the Internet of Things with 5G technology.
This year, Jio Platforms raised ~1.52 trillion from investors such as Google Inc. and Facebook to meet its digital goals in just four months. Qualcomm Ventures, Qualcomm Inc.’s funding arm, has already invested about 730 crores for a 0.15 percent stake in Jio Platforms.
