Ever since the launch of 5G services in India, confusion is prevailing among cellphone users about whether their existing SIM will be compatible with 5G phones or not.
Speed of the new services and where they will be rolled out first etc. are also some of the questions that are making rounds on the internet.
Is your existing SIM compatible with 5G phone?
As per Airtel, the existing SIM can be used in 5G phones. However, it said that in order to access the 5G network, a 5G phone is mandatory.
On the other hand, Jio and Vodafone have not made any comment on SIM compatibility. Jio is gearing up to launch its 5G phone around Diwali.
Though a 4G SIM will be compatible with 5G phones, to avail of the speed of the new services, the SIM needs to be changed with the latest one.
What is 5G service and where it will be rolled first?
When it comes to downloading speed, 5G services are likely to be 10 times faster than 4G. The spectrum efficiency of 5G will be up to three times greater.
In the first phase, it will be available in Hyderabad and 12 other cities. The services will be rolled out in other districts in a phased manner.
The complete list of 13 cities is as follows:
- Ahmedabad
- Bengaluru
- Chandigarh
- Chennai
- Delhi
- Gandhinagar
- Gurugram
- Hyderabad
- Jamnagar
- Kolkata
- Lucknow
- Mumbai
- Pune
The 5G services will progressively cover the entire country over the next couple of years. Jio promises to do that by December 2023 and Bharti Airtel by March 2024.
Vodafone has not revealed its plan.
After the launch of the 5G services, India now joined a list of countries that offer 5G telephony and these include the US, UK, Japan, China, and nations across Europe.
Where Bharti Airtel, Vodafone, Jio are going to roll out services?
Bharti Airtel is rolling out the 5G services in eight cities. The list of these cities includes Hyderabad, Delhi and Mumbai.
Airtel to launch 5G services in following cities
- Delhi
- Mumbai
- Bengaluru
- Siliguri
- Varanasi
- Hyderabad
- Chennai
- Kolkata
Whereas, Reliance Jio, the country’s top operator with most subscribers, is to launch its services in four metros – Delhi, Mumbai, Kolkata, and Chennai – this month, while Vodafone Idea Ltd, the third operator, has so far not indicated any fixed timeline for its 5G rollout.
