5G Speed: Broadband speed and measurement firm Ookla, in its report on 5G performance and user experience in India, has said that in the dynamic scenario of India’s telecom industry, Reliance Jio has emerged as the biggest in the race for 5G supremacy. Jio is deploying faster and performing better. According to the Department of Telecommunications, as of 29 February 2024, 4.25 lakh BTS have been installed in India, of which about 80% are from Reliance Jio.
Reliance Jio and Bharti Airtel have invested heavily in expanding 5G networks across India, resulting in a significant increase in 5G availability in India. It has increased from 28.1% in the first quarter of 2023 to 52.0% in the fourth quarter of 2023. Reliance Jio has been established as a leader in next generation connectivity by implementing 5G Standalone (5G SA) networks from the very beginning.
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Jio’s extensive 5G coverage is evident from its 5G availability rate. During the fourth quarter of 2023, it has been more than half of its rival Airtel and more than 100%. Jio’s rate increased to 68.8%, which was reduced to 30.3% for Airtel. Reliance Jio is able to provide wide coverage and wide network to its customers with low-band (700 MHz) and mid-band (3.5 GHz) spectrum and extensive fiber network.
Reliance Jio’s 5G network has delivered tangible improvements in user experience, especially in video streaming and mobile gaming. Speedtest Intelligence data shows that Reliance Jio’s 5G network delivers faster video start times, reduces buffering, and enhances the streaming experience for consumers.
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Reliance Jio’s 5G network recorded a faster video start time of 1.14 seconds compared to Airtel’s 5G network, which was 1.99 seconds. Reliance Jio customers experienced a more significant reduction in video start time from 4G to 5G, with a reduction of 0.85 seconds. Additionally, mobile gamers have benefited from lower latency, better responsiveness, and smoother gameplay.
Despite the complexities inherent in network performance, consumer sentiment towards 5G remains overwhelmingly positive. Reliance Jio’s Net Promoter Score (NPS) for its 5G service stands at 7.4 in Q4 2023. This upward trend in NPS reflects consumer satisfaction with the improved performance and reliability offered by Reliance Jio’s 5G network.
India is now among the top 15 countries around the world in terms of 5G average download speed. The country’s average download speed of 301.86 Mbps in Q4 2023 puts it firmly on the map of countries with state-of-the-art 5G infrastructure.