5G services to be rolled out today; how will your experience change?

Source: The post is based on an article “5G services to be rolled out today; how will your experience change?” published in The Indian Express on 1^st October 2022.

Syllabus: GS 3

Relevance: benefits of 5G

News: The Prime Minister of India will launch 5G on 1^st October and the sixth edition of India Mobile Congress in New Delhi.

What will be the benefits of 5G?

Socio-economic: The Ministry of Communications said that 5G can bring new economic opportunities and societal benefits and bring transformation for Indian society.

Consumers: 5G could have benefits of the superior Internet speed and low latency over 4G for consumers. 5G could touch 10 Gbps compared to the 100 Mbps peak of 4G. Latency under 4G is between 10-100 ms (millisecond) whereas on 5G it is expected to be under 1 ms.

Latency is the time it takes for a device to send packets of data and get a response. Shorter the latency, quicker the response.

Which technology is being used by the operators to launch 5G?

5G networks are deployed mainly in two modes: standalone and non-standalone. Both architectures have their advantages and disadvantages.

The biggest difference between the two architectures is the compatibility with existing device ecosystems.

Most smartphones today have the capability to connect to non-standalone 5G networks which are 5G airwaves transmitted through 4G networks.

Standalone mode: Reliance Jio has chosen the standalone mode. In this mode 5G network operates with dedicated equipment and runs parallel to the existing 4G network.

Whereas, in the non-standalone mode, the 5G network is supported by the 4G core infrastructure.

Non-standalone mode: Bharti Airtel has opted for non-standalone mode. The non-standalone networks are built on existing infrastructure.

Therefore, the initial cost and the time taken to roll out services through this mode is less than standalone networks.