5G services launched in India: Faster downloads, uninterrupted streaming; here’s what will change

New Delhi: Emphasising that India will lead the Industry 4.0 revolution and this is the century of India, Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Saturday launched super-fast 5G service in select cities in India. Digital India's success is based on 4 pillars including cost of device, digital connectivity, data costs and digital first approach, the PM said at the 6th edition of India Mobile Congress 2022 at Pragati Maidan.

He noted how the price of 1 GB data, which was about Rs 300 earlier, has now come down to about Rs 10 per GB. On average, a person in India consumes 14 GB per month. This would have cost about Rs 4,200 per month but costs Rs 125-150. It's the efforts of the government that led to this, he said.

While RIL chairman Mukesh Ambani stressed that Reliance Jio will launch 5G services across India by December 2023, Bharti Airtel chairman Sunil Bharti Mittal announced that they will start 5G services in 8 cities today and across the country by December 2024.

Kumar Mangalam Birla, chairman, Aditya Birla Group (a promoter company of telco Vodafone Idea along with UK’s Vodafone Group) also announced that Vodafone Idea will soon begin its 5G rollout journey.

So, now that the much-awaited 5G has been rolled out in the country, what would change and how will the new service impact you? Here’s all you need to know:

Ultra-fast speed

Remember the time when downloading a movie used to take hours, which, thanks to 4G, got reduced to a few minutes. Well, now 5G can offer speeds that are multiple times faster than 4G while also supporting lag-free connectivity.

The 5th generation mobile network can offer peak download speeds of 20 Gb/s (gigabits per second), or 20,480 Mb/s (megabits per second). When put it simpler terms, a user can very easily download a 1 GB-sized file in a fraction of seconds - 0.03 seconds!

Low latency

Latency is the lag that follows the transfer of data when an instruction is given to allow its transfer. It is inversely proportional to internet speed meaning the lower the latency, the higher the internet speed. With 5G, the latency is below 5 milliseconds as compared to 60 to 98 ms when it comes to 4G.

5G will help in smooth streaming of online videos or any content on OTT platforms, without any buffering. Moreover, it would bid adieu to the frequent call drops. Video calls will enjoy increased connectivity, with notably reduced lagging, along with a betterment in quality.

With 5G technology gaining pace, Artificial Intelligence and Augmented Reality (AR) doesn’t seem to be the things of near-future. Besides streaming or downloading movies in a flash, an ultra-fast 5G speed is necessary for the advancement of AI and AR etc., which can have a great impact on sectors like healthcare, disaster management, education and agriculture, among others.

Among other this, 5G is expected to enable solutions for mobile cloud gaming, connected vehicles, immersive, metaverse experiences.

Internet of Things

In the easiest words, Internet of Things (IoT) refers to the collective network of connected devices and the technology that facilitates communication between devices and the cloud, as well as between the devices themselves. The Internet of Things integrates everyday “things” including your gadgets with the internet. 5G will help in the advancement of IoT in the country.

The technology will enable new services and products powered by Internet of Things (IoT) technologies.

Faster 5G would enable better communication in remote working mode. Moreover, buildings and office spaces that are 5G-powered can help give a more comfortable working environment to the employees.

5G will also have a big impact in the safety and surveillance sector as it will enable remote control over disaster hit areas, live 4K feed from HD camera installed in public spaces and more. It can aid in real-time monitoring of disasters, precision agriculture. 5G tech will also help cut down the headcount in dangerous industrial operations like deep mines, offshore activities etc.

"5G can unleash new economic opportunities and societal benefits giving it the potential for being a transformational force for Indian society. It will help the country leapfrog the traditional barriers to development, spur innovations by startups and business enterprises as well as advance the 'Digital India' vision," the Centre said in a release.