5G, or the fifth generation of mobile communication technology that promises greater speed to your devices is the big buzzword around, and the tech world is quickly getting on the bandwagon. While mobile handset makers like Samsung, Xiaomi and OnePlus are set to launch 5G-enabled handsets in India in the coming weeks, tech infrastructure majors like Ericsson and Huawei are set to roll out 5G equipment for cellular operators.
In a major announcement on Wednesday, Ericsson announced that it has tied up with Vodafone Idea, India's biggest mobile phone service operator in terms of number of users, to modernise its network with 5G-ready radio systems and microwave backhaul solutions. The three-year deal will cover eight circles of Vodafone Idea across India.
Earlier in the day, Huawei chief executive in India Jay Chen was quoted by media outlets that the company was ready to roll out its 5G trials in India and was waiting for clearance from the Indian government.
In the US, Verizon, one of the mobile service provider there, has already launched 5G last year on an experimental basis in four cities—Los Angeles, Sacramento, Indianapolis and Houston. But this is for fixed line broadband users only, as 5G-enabled mobile phones are still not available for sale in the open market.
South Korea became the second country to roll out 5G, with three operators rolling out 5G services in select cities including Seoul in December, but only to enterprise customers. Next couple of months, many believe, will be the tipping point for 5G with more countries like Japan, UK and possibly China launching the high speed service at least in select cities. This timing would help since next week's Mobile World Congress in Barcelona could see the launch of at least a few 5G-enabled handsets which would soon be available for buying by the general public.
The Indian government has announced that networks should be 5G enabled by 2020. Spectrum allocation will be at the crux of it, as well as technical and infrastructure upgradation. In previous years, there have been many consumer complaints that though networks claim 3G and 4G speeds, the experience has not kept pace with expectations. 5G promises downloads as fast as 1GB per second, and non-stop video play, calls, etc, without buffering.
In the case of 5G also, it is expected that the migration, even if the networks claim otherwise, will happen slowly from 4G LTE and eventually 5G as capital intensive replacement of older equipment and technology will take time. TRAI has started with allocating spectrum and bandwidth for 5G, though many analysts believe that though 5G may be officially launched next year in India, true realisation of the high speeds expected may take longer.
This could possibly the reason why that Apple is not expected to launch a 5G-ready iPhone until 2020, when systems, infrastructure and consumers are finally ready to go with 5G. However, other mobile makers are raring to go. OnePlus is expected to launch its next flagship, the 5G-enabled OnePlus 7 as early as next week at the Mobile World Congress (MWC) in Barcelona. Samsung Galaxy S10 as well as Xiaomi Mi Mix 3, both 5G enabled devices, are also expected soon, if not at MWC then definitely within April.