- Mukesh Ambani, chairman of Reliance Industries Ltd (RIL), said that Reliance Jio Infocomm Ltd will lead the roll-out of 5G technology in India, launching the service in the second half of 2021.
Mukesh Ambani, chairman of Reliance Industries Ltd (RIL), said that Reliance Jio Infocomm Ltd will lead the roll-out of 5G technology in India, launching the service in the second half of 2021. The solution will be designed indigenously for the fifth-generation wireless service, Ambani added.
Ambani, speaking at the fourth edition of India Mobile Congress, said the country needs policy developments for 5G services to be launched early.
“I assure you that Jio will pioneer the 5G revolution in India in the second half of 2021. It will be powered by the indigenous-developed network, hardware, and technology components,” Ambani said.
Although Reliance Jio spoke about a 5G launch as soon as spectrum is sold, rivals Bharti Airtel Ltd and Vodafone Idea Ltd claim that the technology is at least two years away because the ecosystem is not in India and the spectrum reserve price is expensive.
Jio Platforms Ltd revealed in October that it is partnering with US-based Qualcomm Inc. to develop 5G solutions and speed up efforts to carry the high-speed network to the second-largest subscriber broadband market in the world.
Ambani said at RIL’s 43rd annual general meeting in July, “Jio has developed from scratch a complete 5G solution.” This will allow us to use a 100 percent homegrown technology and solution to launch a world-class 5G service in India.
He said that the ‘Made in India’ solution will be ready for field rollout next year and due to the converged network infrastructure of the telco, Jio will be able to quickly upgrade its 4G network to 5G.
Users will experience higher data rates, low latency communications, and enhanced digital experiences through connected devices such as smartphones, business computers, augmented and virtual reality products, and Internet of Things (IoT) solutions through 5 G technology.
In just four months this year, Jio Platforms raised ~1.52 trillion from investors such as Google Inc. and Facebook to achieve its digital goals. Qualcomm Ventures, Qualcomm Inc.’s investment arm, has also invested about 730 crores for a 0.15 percent stake in Jio Platforms.