- 5G network recharge packs in India will be similar to 4G.
- This should come as a move to encourage mass adoption of 5G in the country.
- Both Jio and Airtel said that this is the fastest ever expansion of the 5G network in the world.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi will launch the 5G network in India on October 1st at the Indian Mobile Congress. Jio and Airtel have already announced the rollout schedule of the network across the country. The telecom giants have mentioned in the past that the rollout will begin shortly and will be made available throughout the country in every nook and corner by the end of 2023. Both Jio and Airtel said that this is the fastest ever expansion of the 5G network in the world. While this is about the roll-out, a lot has said been about the 5G recharge plans.
There have been speculations that 5G network plans will on similar lines as 4G, with marginal differences. This can be seen as a move to encourage mass adoption of 5G in the country.
5G recharge packs might be similar to 4G
5G network is set to launch in India on October 1st at the Mobile World Congress. Jio confirmed the network would start rolling out in Delhi, Mumbai, Chennai and Kolkata by Diwali and then expand to other markets. The complete pan-India rollout would be completed by December 2023. Airtel also has similar plans. The recently completed spectrum auction hinted that Jio will have an edge thanks to the 700MHz band.
As for the pricing, both Airtel and Jio are expected to price their 5G packs similar to 4G plans. While Jio and Airtel haven’t made any public statements regarding the 5G packs, analysts believe that they will be priced on similar lines as the 4G packs. Experts believe that this would drive mass adaption of the network initially, which is what the telecom networks would want.
“5G operators are unlikely to charge a premium over 4G rates initially as their immediate goal would be to drive 5G adoption, get more consumers to experience faster speeds, consume more data and, in turn, drive ARPU growth,” Rohan Dhamija, India head at Analysys Mason was quoted as saying. Another analyst said that telecom networks would want to get more consumers to experience faster speeds, consume more data and, in turn, drive ARPU growth.”
Kunal Vora, head of India equite research at BNP Paribas, mentioned that 5G adoption will take a hit if telecom operators decide to price the 5G series higher than 4G. Airtel CTO Randeep Sekhon had told 91Mobiles back in July that 5G plans in India are expected to be priced similar to the 4G plans that users are currently paying.
There are also reports that smartphone brands might partner with telecom networks to offer bundled plans. This makes sense considering the demand for 5G-supported phones will only grow in the coming days.
