Reliance Jio has rolled out 5G services in the 26 gigahertz (GHz) band, also known as the millimetre wave (mmWave) frequency, in 21 states and union territories. Meanwhile, Jio’s 5G services in the 3.3 GHz or C-band spectrum are already available across all telecom circles in the country.
The mmWave band, while offering high-speed and low-latency connectivity, is costlier to deploy and demands a denser network of base stations to ensure adequate coverage. As a result, its primary use is expected to be in enterprise applications, where specialised and high-performance network requirements are more common. For everyday consumer needs, the 3.3 GHz band is sufficient.
The 21 regions where Jio has introduced its 26 GHz band 5G include: Madhya Pradesh, Telangana, Rajasthan, Gujarat, Maharashtra, Uttar Pradesh, West Bengal, Tamil Nadu, Karnataka, Kerala, Andhra Pradesh, Assam, Bihar, Haryana, Himachal Pradesh, Jammu & Kashmir, Punjab, Odisha, Tripura, Nagaland, and Delhi.
Additionally, Jio has decided to provide mmWave 5G services to enterprises on a request basis, catering to business-specific demands. The company has stated that this rollout across all telecom circles is part of its compliance with the Department of Telecommunications’ (DoT) minimum rollout obligations (MRO) for 5G spectrum deployment.
