In a meeting with phone companies on Wednesday, top representatives from the Department of Telecommunications (DoT) and the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY) demanded that they fully transition to 5G. Mobile manufacturers have only three months to transition to 5G services with 5G smartphones, according to ministry officials.
A report from ANI claims that there are almost 750 million mobile phone subscribers in India, out of which 350 million people use phones that support 3G or 4G, and 100 million people have 5G-capable phones. According to reports, the ministry has instructed smartphone manufacturers to gradually stop making 3G-4G compatible phones that cost more than Rs 10,000 and switch entirely to 5G technology.
In a few cities right now, Jio and Airtel are both providing 5G services. Airtel is launching its 5G Plus service across a total of 8 cities, compared to Jio’s 4 cities where it is currently available. Both telecom companies have stated that other cities will soon have access to 5G. Jio claimed that its 5G services would be available nationwide by the end of 2023, while Airtel stated that its 5G services would be available nationwide by March 2024.
Now, some owners of 5G smartphones who reside in eligible cities can use Jio or Airtel 5G service, but some 5G phone owners are unable to access high-speed internet. That’s because only three bands—n28, n78, and n258—are compatible with 5G services from Jio and Aitel. Your smartphone must support these bands in order to use Jio or Airtel 5G services without any issues.
FAQ
- What is the request of the government?
Ans. All 4G phones costing more than Rs 10,000 be discontinued.
- What is the full form of DOT?
Ans. Department of Telecommunication.
- How much time does mobile manufacturers have to transition to 5G services with 5G smartphones?
Ans. Three months.
