5g is coming to India! Should you upgrade?
Today, 5G is the buzzword among smartphone users. Since the 5G launch in India on October 1, 2022, users have been going gung-ho about it. Its launch has generated a frenzy. But the moot question remains; does it need an upgrade?
Before we delve into the answer, there are a few points to clarify. It is a no-brainer to state that internet speed is the most significant factor that impacts telecom services today. Because of this, one sees a technological advancement in the genre every few years. An upgrade from 4G to 5G will have the maximum impact on the internet speed.
5G is expected to provide about 10 to 15 times better network speed than 4G, which is a vast improvement. 4G was launched in India in 2010, but customers took time to adhere to the then-new technology. The reasons behind it could be its price compared to the 3G networks and the requirement for a device upgrade.
On this occasion, the wait time is longer; 5G is making its way into the market a decade later. Today people are more aware of the costs of such network and device upgrades. Just like in the case of 4G, consumers may take some time to adapt to 5G, but the transition may be quicker.
The 5G Specifics in India
In India, three telecom companies, Bharti Airtel, Vodafone, and Reliance Jio, will roll out their 5G network services post-October 4th, 2022. Bharti Airtel and Vodafone plan to use their existing 4G infrastructure for 5G services, whereas Reliance Jio has planned for standalone services, and Airtel has already rolled out its usefulness.
In the case of telecom operators planning for non-standalone infrastructure, the cost of availing the network for the consumers may be affordable. But in the case of a sophisticated standalone network designed by Reliance Jio, the price could be a matter of concern. Since Reliance is known to be a mass player and for its aggressive pricing, alarming tariff rates are not expected.
For 5G services, most of the telecom operators have been allotted a sub-6GHz 5G assortment of bandwidths. This network bandwidth would benefit both the telecom companies and the consumers. For telecom companies, Sub-6GHz 5G networks shall help use existing towers; for consumers, it shall help with better penetration through concrete walls. This will result in a more stable network inside buildings. The speed of a network with such bandwidth is expected to touch 300 Mbps, equivalent to any high-speed fibre line. Processes like streaming and data transfer shall be accomplished in a blink of an eye with 5G. The 5G shall offer the kind of benefits that any high-speed broadband connection provides.
That availing of a 5G network connection in the initial phase could benefit immensely compared to consumers joining late. This is because airwaves allocated for 5G would not face the congestion that 4G networks face. It may take at least several months for a sizeable chunk of the population to switch to 5G; the initial consumer of 5G would enjoy far greater speed in this phase.
5G bands Essentials
In India, n78/n77 bands can support frequencies to a maximum of 3300 MHz. In this connection, the major players have opted for this band. Meanwhile, the available 700 MHz, 800 MHz, and 900 MHz bands will continue. To plug the gap in the low-end frequencies, n28, n5, and n8 bands are required. Smartphones launched in 2022 will be compatible with these bands. As a smartphone user, check your devices to see if you have these bands.
Is An Upgrade To 5G Required For 4G Consumers?
The answer lies with the user. If a user wants better network speed and connectivity in comparison to 4G and has the potential to invest in 5G-compatible devices right away, the answer would be a resounding yes. In any case, time is of the essence as change is inevitable, with the next in line, 6G, expected to be launched before 2030.
SMOAD SD-WAN ready for 5G
SMOAD Network devices use proprietary technology to aggregate several internet connections’ bandwidth and route the network traffic intelligently. The various connections can be 3G, 4G, or even 5G.
SMOAD can run multiple Virtual Machines at the edge level already. This gives SMOAD an advantage in performing various functions on the device itself. Also, the technology used for aggregation of wireless/wired connections is generation agnostic.
In other words, yes! SMOAD is 5G enabled!
