- 5G services have officially been announced in India
- The services will roll out starting today
- 5G network in India will be available to almost 75 percent of the major cities by the end of 2022.
5G services, which were officially announced by PM Modi at the India Mobile Congress (IMC) 2022, are all set to rollout in India starting today. Jio and Airtel will take the lead and present their 5G services in the country. Airtel has announced that its 5G services will be available in 8 cities, including Delhi, Mumbai, Varanasi, and Bangalore, today. In case, you are in one of these cities and wondering why the 5G network signal is not showing on your device yet, it could be due to a number of reasons, which are exactly what we are going to discuss in this article. So, without any further ado, let’s get started:
Why can’t you use 5G services in India just yet?
These could be the reasons why you can’t use the 5G network just yet:
5G availability
This could be the primary reason why you can’t access the 5G network just yet. As stated by the telcos, 5G services will first be available in a few cities. Airtel has started rolling out the services in eight cities in India, including Delhi, Mumbai, Varanasi, and Bangalore. However, it is said that the 5G services in India will be available to almost 75 percent of the major cities by the end of 2022. The launch event saw Mukesh Ambani announce that Jio would bring 5G to the country, including rural areas, by December 2023. Airtel 5G services, on the other hand, will cover pan India by March 2024.
5G towers
Even if you are in one of the cities where 5G is rolling out, you will have to be in close proximity to 5G towers to use the network. As of now, it is unclear where those towers are located.
5G disabled
Another reason why you can’t see the 5G network signal on your device could be that the 5G support is not enabled by the manufacturer. Most 5G smartphones in the market have 5G disabled but fret not, it can be enabled via an OTA update. You can expect an update on your 5G-enabled smartphone from your manufacturers shortly. Realme has reportedly started rolling out 5G support for its compatible devices via the OTA update.
Enable 5G settings
Apart from that, Airtel claims that you will have to enable 5G settings on your smartphone to use the fifth-gen cellular connectivity. This can be done via connections or mobile network options. You can choose the 5G option in addition to 4G or LTE. Most SIM cards are 5G enabled, so they should seamlessly work on your 5G smartphone.
5G tariffs
Much like 4G, you will need a 5G tariff to use 5G services in India. Airtel will likely roll out its 5G tariffs in the country soon. If a statement by a senior company official is anything to go by, then the Airtel 5G services will be available at existing 4G rates. Jio, on the other hand, has claimed that its 5G rates will be the most affordable than anyone else in the world.
No 5G support
Last but not the least, check whether your device supports 5G or not. There are multiple methods to do so – one of them is to go through the company’s website or the retail box. Many manufacturers print the number of supported 5G bands on the retail box of the smartphone.
“Smartphones launched last year might not pack a 5G chipset at the helm. However, most smartphones nowadays ship with a 5G-enabled chipset at the phone’s heart,” per Airtel. So, if you’re in the market to buy yourself a new phone, make sure it’s 5G-enabled.
