Two of the biggest telecom companies in India, Reliance Jio and Airtel, have silently launched their 5G network operations. Ultimately, it will boil down to a battle of Jio 5G vs Airtel 5G, considering the competition in the market. Having said that, which 5G network would be the best for you? Reliance Jio has had a good track record of introducing network connectivity in the country at reduced rates.
On the other hand, Airtel has been around for decades and has provided exceptional service in all corners of the country. So, if you’re shifting to a 5G network, which one should be the most suitable for you? Here, we’re going to take a look at all the aspects of both 5G networks, including price, speeds, and supported handsets, to find out who wins this battle.
So, are you ready to determine the winner of Jio 5G vs Airtel 5G? Without further delay, let’s get started!
Jio 5G Launch Date
Jio True 5G was launched on October 5, 2022.
Also read: 5 Best 5G Mobile Phones In India October 2022
Airtel 5G Launch Date
Airtel 5G Plus was launched following Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s promise of 5G availability from October 1, 2022. However, it commenced its 5G operations on the backend in August 2022.
Jio 5G Launch Cities
Jio 5G was available only in four major Indian cities – Mumbai, Delhi, Kolkata, and Varanasi at its time of launch. However, as of now, Jio 5G is fully operational all over India.
Also read: Airtel 5G Availability: Activation, Supported Mobiles, And All You Should Know!
Airtel 5G Launch Cities
At the time of launch, Airtel 5G was available in eight cities, twice as many as that of Jio 5G. These cities were Delhi, Mumbai, Bangalore, Kolkata, Chennai, Hyderabad, Varanasi, and Gurugram. As of today, Airtel services are available throughout and outside India too.
Jio 5G vs Airtel 5G Speeds
Before we get into the internet speed of both these networks, we have to understand that there’s a significant difference between the two. Jio 5G uses a standalone architecture which doesn’t have to piggyback on existing 4G infrastructure. This allows it to deliver faster speeds than non-standalone network deployment 5G. Interestingly, Airtel 5G uses the latter and has to utilise the existing 4G infrastructure in the country to provide 5G services.
A significant reason for this is the budget that Reliance Jio has in its hands. When it comes to 5G, there are two aspects which are the most important – coverage and speeds. Either will fall apart without the other. If you’re in an area with great 5G coverage but lacks speed, it defeats the purpose of 5G. On the other hand, if your 5G is fast but only in a particular area, it takes away from 5G’s supposed ubiquitous nature.
Reliance Jio spent quite a bit of money, approximately over half of INR 88,000 crore, on acquiring 10Mhz of the 700Mhz spectrum. This band is one of the best in terms of speed but is highly expensive as well. Airtel has stayed away from this spectrum due to the costs. Instead, Airtel spent most of its budget on acquiring mid-band spectrums. Moreover, they don’t have a standalone infrastructure.
With Jio acquiring the 700Mhz band for coverage, 3.5Ghz band for capacity, and 26Ghz mmWave band for extra internet speed, Jio is bound to deliver higher speeds.
Coming to the speed tests, here’s what we have:
A broadband speed research from Ookla has stated that Jio 5G speeds are pretty high, with a median speed of 600Mbps. For Airtel, the 5G network topped off at 516Mbps.
Furthermore, in Delhi, Airtel reached a median speed of 200Mbps, while Jio almost went past the 600Mbps mark.
Also read: Jio 5G Availability: Launch, Prices, And Everything You Should Know!
Jio 5G Vs Airtel 5G Plans
Let us have a look at some of the popular Jio 5G vs Airtel 5G plans available for the users:
| Plan Pricing | Validity | Benefits | Operator | |
| Rs. 3999 | 365 Days | 2.5GB/day of Data, Unlimited STD + Roaming Calls, 100 SMS/day, One-year subscription for Disney+ Hotstar, Wynk music, & free Hellotunes, Three months Apollo 24/7 Circle, Airtel Xstream | Airtel | |
| Rs. 3599 | 365 Days | 2.5GB/day of Data, Unlimited STD + Roaming Calls, 100 SMS/day, Access to Jio TV, Jio Cinema, Jio Cloud | Jio | |
| Rs. 1029 | 84 Days | 2GB/Day Data, Truly Unlimited Calls,100/Day SMS, Disney + Hotstar Mobile (3-months), XStream mobile pack 84-Days Free Trial, Apollo 24/7 Circle Three-months, Wynk music, & free Hellotunes, RewardsMini subscription | Airtel | |
| Rs. 1199 | 84 Days | 3GB/Day Data, Truly Unlimited Calls,100/Day SMS, Access to Jio TV, Jio Cinema, Jio Cloud | Jio | |
| Rs. 299 | 28 Days | 1GB/ Day, Truly Unlimited Calls, 100/Day SMS | Airtel | |
| Rs. 349 | 28 Days | 2GB/ Day, Truly Unlimited Calls, 100/Day SMS, Access to Jio TV, Jio Cinema, Jio Cloud | Jio | |
Jio 5G Vs Airtel 5G Supported Smartphones
All the latest smartphones models from various leading brands come with the Jio and Airtel 5G support services. For instance, the latest Apple iPhone 16 series, Samsung Galaxy S24 Series, Realme phones, and more- all of them support 5G services.
Also read: 5 Best 5G Mobile Phones Under 15000 In India
Jio 5G Bands In India
Reliance Jio has specified that Jio 5G will be available in three bands:
- n28 (700Mhz)
- n78 (3300Mhz)
- n258 (26Ghz)
Airtel 5G Bands In India
Airtel has released a list of supported 5G bands in India. These are:
- n8 (900Mhz)
- n3 (1800Mhz)
- n1 (2100Mhz)
- n78 (3300Mhz)
- n258 (26Ghz)
Also read: 5 Best Realme 5G Mobile Phones In India October 2022
Jio 5G vs Airtel 5G: Who Wins?
The debate for Jio 5G vs Airtel 5G depends upon your usage and requirements. Both the operators offer excellent network and services along with various prepaid and postpaid plans for the users. Some of these plans also offer OTT benefits. So, the choice as to which is the best totally depends on the users.
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