The two biggest telecom firms in India, Airtel and Reliance Jio, were the first to provide 5G network access to their customers when the government decided to make the technology available, setting off a cold war between them. There is an alleged dispute between Airtel and Reliance Jio over whether the telecom operator offers the best 5G services following the recent launch of their 5G network operations.
On October 1, 2022, Airtel introduced its 5G network following Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s announcement of the 5G Network. On October 5, 2022, Reliance Jio debuted its 5G services in Mumbai, Delhi, Kolkata, and Varanasi, four Indian cities. In addition to Delhi, Mumbai, Bangalore, Kolkata, Chennai, Hyderabad, Varanasi, and Gurugram, Airtel has also launched its 5G network in those eight cities. So, the question remains: which one is better?
In this article, we conduct a comprehensive comparison of Airtel and Jio’s 5G networks:
-
Airtel 5G vs Jio 5G speeds
Jio’s 5G strategy is focused on obtaining both broad coverage and fast speeds because doing so would be impractical. An illustration of this would be a 5G network with slow speeds that isn’t useful or constantly loses signal. Jio wants to build a quick and dependable 5G network by utilising the 700MHz spectrum for coverage, the 3.5GHz band for capacity, and the 26GHz mmWave frequency for speed.
However, Airtel now relies on its mid-band spectrum purchases to offer 5G services. Although they have enough spectrum to get started, industry insiders expect Airtel would eventually need to buy spectrum in the 700MHz band.
-
Airtel 5G vs Jio 5G availability
Airtel has overtaken Jio regarding 5G network expansion by extending its service to 500 cities, which is impressive. Airtel has launched its 5G service in 500 cities, while Reliance Jio has only managed to expand its ultra-high-speed fifth-generation (5G) network to 406 cities. Both telecom giants have been striving to roll out their 5G networks nationwide as quickly as possible.
-
Airtel 5G vs Jio 5G plans
Users can purchase Jio’s Jio 5G Plan, which offers unlimited 5G data and up to 1Gbps network speed, starting at INR 239. Airtel will charge the same fee for its 5G service as its 4G offerings. The 5G package from Reliance Jio will be accessible to prepaid and postpaid users. It will include an exclusive Jio Welcome Offer for qualified subscribers who are invited only. In their My Jio app, users eligible for the Welcome Offer will get a notice banner.
Although the details of Airtel’s Premium Offer Plans for 5G are not yet known, they are anticipated to result in cheaper costs per subscriber. Airtel’s 5G services will be priced similarly to their 4G rates, which start at INR 500 to INR 600, with the possibility of fluctuations in the future.
Airtel 5G vs Jio 5G: which is better?
Both Airtel and Jio have launched their 5G network operations and are competitive in pricing. However, Jio has the advantage of network speed, while Airtel has the advantage over coverage and expansion. Ultimately, the choice between Airtel and Jio’s 5G networks will depend on individual preferences and requirements.
