Telecom Operators Gear Up To Launch 5G By 2020

Major players in the telecom sector, Reliance Jio, Idea Cellular and Vodafone India are gearing up for 5G technology, according to insiders in the industry. Work is progressing apace to launch MIMO technology upon which 5G hinges. MIMO is seen to be a critical enabler for 5G. All the major network operators are priming themselves for the proposed 2020 launch of 5G.

Telecom giant Bharti Airtel is learnt to have begun deployment in Kolkata and Bengaluru and is reportedly ready with operations to cover Hyderabad, Pune, and Chandigarh. Other major service providers are not far behind.

MIMO, an acronym for massive multiple input multiple output, boosts the capacity of a base station by five to seven times, while cutting down interference to a large extent.

What Will You Get Out Of 5G?

In layman’s language, a subscriber is likely to have access to data speed ranging from 30 Mbps to 35 Mbps. The mobile internet speed would also go up considerably, depending on the subscriber’s plan. Analysts say that a user stands to gain from the introduction of MIMO with faster downloads and the total absence of buffering, which impedes content streaming, affecting the quality of user experience. Reliance Jio had stated earlier that its 4G network could be enhanced to 5G with ease.

As things stand, Samsung is among the most likely commercial vendors to gain from this, with virtually very little competition. According to industry sources, ZTE and Huawei are leading the pack in the for gear vendors, closely followed by Nokia and Ericsson, all of whom are working in close association with major telecom operators for trials of the technology in various circles.