Bharti Airtel and Reliance Jio have both launched 5G networks in different cities. While the telcos are currently planning to reach more cities in the near future, it is important for the consumers to really be educated about the network technology in the first place to be able to benefit from it. But that’s a topic for another day. Reliance Jio and Bharti Airtel have different strategies for their 5G rollout. Today, we will look at the key differences between Airtel’s 5G and Jio’s 5G. Take a look below.
Bharti Airtel 5G vs Reliance Jio 5G: Technology
The technology that Jio and Airtel are using for 5G is different. This is something that a lot of users have been talking about for many days now. Jio and Airtel’s 5G rollout strategy is different. Jio is deploying 5G SA (standalone), while Airtel is deploying 5G NSA (non-standalone). 5G SA doesn’t require a 4G core and has an independent infrastructure. 5G NSA depends on the 4G core. Both can deliver pretty good speeds, but 5G SA can enable use cases that 5G NSA can’t.
Bharti Airtel 5G vs Reliance Jio 5G: Cities
Bharti Airtel and Reliance Jio have been mostly targeting the same cities. Jio’s 5G network services are available in five cities, including Delhi, Mumbai, Kolkata, Varanasi and Chennai. In Nathdwara, Jio is offering free 5G-powered Wi-Fi services. Airtel’s 5G network services are available in eight cities, including Mumbai, Delhi, Varanasi, Chennai, Siliguri, Nagpur, Hyderabad, and Bengaluru. The telcos are expected to reach more cities by the year’s end.
Bharti Airtel 5G vs Reliance Jio 5G: Smartphone Support
Bharti Airtel and Reliance Jio’s 5G networks are now supported by most 5G devices in the country. The devices that don’t yet support it are getting OTA (over-the-air) updates already or will get it in the near future. Post the OTA update; the devices will start supporting 5G networks in India. iPhones are yet to receive the update for supporting 5G networks in India. Apple is expected to roll out support for 5G for its devices in December in the Indian market.
