State of 5G in India: Jio-Airtel network coverage to smartphone support, everything to know

Vodafone Idea is yet to launch 5G services.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi launched 5G services in India on October 1 at the Indian Mobile Congress 2022. However, the next-gen wireless network is yet to reach the masses. To enjoy 5G services, certain conditions are to be met first. For starters, you should own a 5G smartphone and your telecom operator must be providing 5G network coverage in your area. But this alone is not enough.

You cannot use 5G services on your device unless your smartphone brand rolls out an update to support the next-gen wireless network from available telecom operators. When all these conditions are met, only then you can use 5G. While telecom operators are expanding their 5G coverage in the country, smartphone brands are also continuously adding support for the network on their devices. Let us see the current state of 5G in India.

State of 5G in India: The coverage

Currently, only Jio and Airtel’s 5G services are available to the public. Airtel users can use 5G service when their area comes under coverage, whereas Jio users are required to wait for the Welcome Offer on MyJio app to start using 5G services. At the moment, neither of the two operators is charging users for the 5G speeds.

Jio offers Standalone (SA) mode of 5G where the network is built from scratch, whereas Airtel offers Non-Standalone (NSA) mode of 5G where the network is built over the existing layer of 4G network. Jio plans to deliver its 5G services to every town, taluka, and tehsil of the country by December 2023. Airtel plans to expand 5G to the entire country by March 2024. Currently, the areas covered by both telcos include the following:

Vi 5G: Vodafone Idea showcased Vi 5G at India Mobile Congress 2022 in New Delhi from October 1 to October 4. The telecom operator’s 5G service was switched on at Pragati Maidan in Delhi, but it has neither expanded it to the entire capital region nor announced any timeline to launch 5G services in the country.

BSNL 5G: Union telecom and railway minister Ashwini Vaishnaw said in December that state-owned BSNL’s 4G technology will be upgraded to 5G in 5-7 months. He also said that BSNL’s next-gen wireless network will be rolled out across 1.35 lakh telecom towers the company has in the country.

5G phones with 5G-ready software

Apple iPhones: Apple iOS 16.2 came with 5G network support in the country in December. This means, the entire iPhone 12 lineup, iPhone 13 series, iPhone 14 series, and iPhone SE (2022) can now support 5G network of both Jio and Airtel.

OnePlus phones: OnePlus added support for Airtel’s 5G network in November and Jio’s 5G network in December. This means, all the OnePlus 5G phones can now run Jio and Airtel 5G services where the network is available. These 5G phones include OnePlus 10 series, OnePlus 9 series, OnePlus 8 series, OnePlus Nord devices.

Nothing Phone (1): Nothing brand has only one device and it supports both Airtel and Jio’s 5G networks.

Samsung phones: Samsung added support for Jio and Airtel’s 5G networks on its 5G smartphones. These devices include Samsung Galaxy S22 series, Galaxy S21 series, Galaxy S20 series, Galaxy Z Fold phones, Galaxy Z Flip phones, Galaxy Note 20 Ultra, Galaxy M53, Galaxy M52, Galaxy M42, Galaxy M33, Galaxy M32, Galaxy M13, Galaxy F42, Galaxy A73, Galaxy A52s, Galaxy A33, and Galaxy A22.

Xiaomi and Redmi phones: Xiaomi announced Airtel 5G Plus support in October and later added Jio 5G support as well. Xiaomi and Redmi-branded phones that support 5G services in India include Xiaomi 12 Pro, Xiaomi 11 series, Mi 10 series, Redmi K50i, Redmi Note 11T, Redmi Note 11 Pro+, Redmi Note 11 Prime, and Redmi Note 10T. Xiaomi recently announced that all of its 5G smartphones now support Jio True 5G connectivity.

Poco phones that support 5G in India include Poco M4, M4 Pro, M3 Pro, F4, X4 Pro, and Poco F3 GT.

Also read: India’s 5G smartphone shipments to exceed 4G shipments in 2023; expected to cross 100 million in Q2

Realme phones that support 5G in India include Realme 10 series, Realme 9 series, Realme 8 series, Realme X7 series, Realme X50 Pro, all Realme GT series phones, Narzo 50 series, and Narzo 30 series.

Oppo phones that support 5G in India include Oppo Reno 8 series, Reno 7 series, Reno 6 series, F19 pro+, F21 Pro, F21s Pro, K10, A74, and Oppo A53s.

Vivo phones that support 5G include the Vivo X80 series, X70 series, X60 series, X50 Pro, V25 series, V23 series, V21 series, V20 Pro, T1 series, and Vivo Y72.

iQoo phones with Jio and Airtel 5G support include the iQoo 9 series, 7 series, Z6 series, Z5, Z3, Neo 6, and iQoo 3.

Motorola phones with 5G software updates include Motorola Edge 30 series, Edge 20 series, Razr, G82, G71, G62, and G51.

Infinix phones with 5G support include Infinix Zero Ultra, Infinix Zero, Infinix Note 12 series, and Infinix Hot 20.

Lava Blaze, Lava Agni, Nokia XR20, Nokia G60, Tecno Camon 19 Pro, Tecno Pova, and Tecno Pova Neo also feature 5G support for Airtel and Jio’s next-gen wireless network in India.

Google Pixel devices will be getting the 5G update in the first quarter of 2023. Pixel 6a, Pixel 7, and Pixel 7 Pro will receive an OTA update to unlock the 5G network capability soon.

Asus ROG Phones have yet to receive software to support Jio True 5G and Airtel 5G Plus services in India.