Jio Platforms, which has committed to launching 5G services in India in the second half of this year, is said to have started pre-testing to prepare for the fifth-generation broadband network. The company had previously claimed to have achieved a high speed of 1 Gbps during the initial testing stages. “Locally developed 5G radio, integrated with Jio's 5G core network and 5G smartphones, has achieved speeds greater than 1 Gbps. Massive internal MIMO (multiple input multiple output) and small indoor 5G cells development," the company said in a press release. The statement was part of Reliance Jio's announcement of its quarterly results in which it reported an increase of 15,5 % in earnings for the three months ending December 2020.
All eyes on government auctions for 5G spectrum
The company will announce the launch of 5G services in India after the government auctioned off 5G spectrum. The Indian government is still in talks with vendors and partners to organize 5G trials in the country. Only after successful trials and sales of 5G spectrum, again contingent on reaching an agreement between the government and telecoms on spectrum pricing, can India expect a successful 5G rollout. But Jio has already placed a lot of importance on 5G. His leader, Mukesh Ambani, has never stopped expressing her company's ambitions on the front lines. In the latest press release, Ambani reportedly said: "India is now one of the leaders of the digital revolution in the world. To maintain this leadership, Jio will continue to accelerate the deployment of its digital platforms and the next generation of locally developed service. Jio's 5G will be a testament to AtmaNirbhar Bharat's vision." US-based Jio Platforms and Qualcomm Technologies, which participated in the first, are accelerating local 5G network infrastructure and services in India.
Jio 5G may be bad news for Chinese companies
Jio is also looking to launch affordable 5G smartphones. This ambitious plan to offer affordable 4G and 5G phones will provide fierce competition for Chinese vendors like Xiaomi, Realme and others who have long led the Indian smartphone market. Jio sought government support on the political front to create an affordable smartphone market for people still on the 2G network. This indigenous 5G network bodes well for India as it does not need to rely on equipment from Chinese companies like ZTE. This development effectively closes the doors for Chinese companies in the 5G infrastructure market. With relations between New Delhi and Beijing now frozen, Jio and Qualcomm's efforts would be warmly welcomed by the powerhouses in the place.