5G services to be rolled out in these 13 Indian cities first. Check the list

The Indian government said on Monday that 5G services will be available in 13 locations throughout the country next year.

Gurugram, Bengaluru, Kolkata, Mumbai, Chandigarh, Delhi, Jamnagar, Ahmadabad, Chennai, Hyderabad, Lucknow, Pune, and Gandhi Nagar are among these cities.

Bharti Airtel, Reliance Jio, and Vodafone Idea are conducting 5G trials in the 700 MHz, 3.5 GHz, and 26 GHz bands. In the sectors of education, enterprise, mobility, and security, the organisations have also presented India-specific use cases.

The Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (Trai) has also produced a consultation paper to solicit input from the sector on a variety of spectrum auction concerns, including pricing, value, and rollout obligations. 

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Last month, Ashwini Vaishnav, the minister of communications, announced that the 5G spectrum auction would take place in April-May 2022. 

However, because Trai is anticipated to present its recommendations only in March, the auction is likely to be postponed until July.

The actual deployment would be dependent on industry readiness, but the government has expressed interest in launching on Independence Day.

Telecom service providers have asked the government to maintain 5G spectrum pricing low so that the industry can participate fully. 

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Companies have advised the government that access to appropriate low-cost spectrum and flexible payment terms are critical for them to plan their investments.

As an alternative to the widely used 3GPP standard, the government is promoting the creation of an indigenously produced 5G standard known as the 5Gi. 

The Indian Institute of Technology produced the indigenous 5G testbed, which was supported by the government. The project is expected to be completed by the end of December.

(With inputs from agencies)