Wait for 5G is over, says PM Modi in his Independence Day speech

During the Independence Day speech, Prime Minister Narendra Modi talked about the launch of 5G services in India. He said that the "wait for 5G" is over. Additionally, PM said that Indian villages will get access to optical fiber and the internet will reach each and every village across the country.

Some reports suggest that two top telecom operators -- Reliance Jio and Airtel -- will launch their 5G services today, on the occasion of Independence Day. These major telecom operators have been developing their 5G services for quite some time. Both Jio and Airtel are in a fight to launch 5G services first in India.

Airtel CEO Gopal Vittal recently said that the operator will launch 5G services very soon without revealing the exact timeline. Some reports, though, suggest that Airtel's 5G service will launch by the end of this month. The CEO also said that Airtel plans to cover all towns and cities, including rural areas by 2024. Meanwhile, some reports suggest that Jio will launch its 5G services on August 15, which is today. The company hasn't revealed any specific details yet.

All major telecom operators like Airtel, Reliance Jio, Vi, and Adani Data Network, who were a part of the auction, are all working to roll out 5G services soon. Airtel recently announced that it will start deploying the 5G network in India by the end of August and announced partnerships with tech companies like -- Samsung, Nokia, and Ericsson.

Some other reports circulating on the internet suggest that PM Modi will launch 5G at the inauguration of the India Mobile Congress (IMC) on September 29. To recall, Jio was the first operator in the 4G race and it is also likely that the telecom company will repeat history. Only time will say who will win the 5G race between Airtel and Jio.

As for the price, Airtel CEO, a few months ago, said that prices of 5G plans will be almost at par with 4G plans. At least that is what is expected to happen initially. "We will know the final costs only after the spectrum auction. If you look at other markets, where operators are already proving 5G, we haven't seen them charging a premium for it over 4G," Airtel's CEO said during an interaction with India Today Tech.

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