After the Chinese virus & with the liabilities telecom cos are saddled with, I'd say 2024 or later. We can make interim plans to roll out 4.5g or 4.5g+ technologies as a way to test certain 5g technologies.
The Chronicles of 5G deployment in India : News and Updates
- Thread starter _Anonymous_
- Start date
Jio, Airtel and BSNL will be ready to deploy 5G services by 2021-22. Also, we cannot rule out the entry of other international ISPs.
No one's gonna wait for Vodafone-Idea to clean up.
Airtel is deep in debt. BSNL like Air India is surviving on GoI hand outs. Barring Jio nobody has the financial wherewithal or the appetite to go in for a 5g network. Add to that the onerous financial responsibilities on the telcos imposed by the SC which could've been ameliorated by the GoI but Modi initially lacked the gumption to do so for fear of being labelled suit boot ki sarkar by the opposition & later the Chinese virus struck leaving the economy reeling.
With the mess that the sector is in & given it's past scam ridden history which saw many int'l players & financiers including Vodafone today burn it's hands , which int'l telco barring the Chinese would be interested in coming in?
India can get its own Huawei. Demand for 5G and anger towards China has given us a chance
Demand for 5G is rising — schools to governments, all depend on internet and technology now. And India is uniquely placed to fill in network gap left by China’s 5G wars.
theprint.in
@Bali78
5G infrastructure is expected to last at least 10 years at the minimum. 6G may be introduced only after 2030, possibly close to 2035. And as India's economy grows the average earnings per subscriber is going to increase significantly. This makes any investment in India worth the money. Also, the way 5G is designed, the cost of investment per subscriber is much lower than 4G or 3G, so the experiences of Vodafone/Airtel etc is unlikely to repeat itself when a new company sets up 5G infrastructure.
5G is so pivotal that even brand new companies may pop up just to offer 5G services with add-on benefits riding on the network of existing companies. You know, pay more and get specialised access to data that you would not otherwise get from existing telcos. For example, Nvidia may release their own sim card that will allow access for 4K gaming over cloud even on a potato PC, along with all other regular phone call and SMS services. 5G is heavily data driven and basically opens up all IT companies to the network. So even companies like Google, Microsoft and Facebook can become ISPs in the near future.
@_Anonymous_
It's begun. The influx of the tech giants into 5G. Started with Facebook with Jio, now Amazon with Airtel.
techcrunch.com
It's begun. The influx of the tech giants into 5G. Started with Facebook with Jio, now Amazon with Airtel.
Amazon reportedly considering $2 billion stake in Indian telecom operator Bharti Airtel | TechCrunch
Amazon.com may follow its American peer Facebook's footsteps in securing a slice of India’s booming telecom market. The e-commerce giant, which has
techcrunch.com
They're taking advantage of an Indian telco in a troubled scenario. Airtel would use the money to retire some debt.How does that translate to an influx of tech giants into 5g ?@_Anonymous_
It's begun. The influx of the tech giants into 5G. Started with Facebook with Jio, now Amazon with Airtel.
Amazon reportedly considering $2 billion stake in Indian telecom operator Bharti Airtel | TechCrunch
Amazon.com may follow its American peer Facebook's footsteps in securing a slice of India’s booming telecom market. The e-commerce giant, which has
After Pompeo says ‘tide is turning against Huawei,’ India reportedly weighs 5G ban on Chinese firm
www.cnbc.com
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Looks like somewhat propaganda-ish article but it seems fun times ahead.
After Pompeo says 'tide is turning against Huawei,' India reportedly weighs 5G ban on Chinese firm
India said it would block 59 Chinese apps such as TikTok and WeChat, claiming they are a threat to national security. And now it's reportedly assessing whether Huawei and ZTE can participate in its 5G rollout.
- Indian government ministers discussed the country’s 5G rollout plans and whether Chinese telecommunications equipment giants Huawei and ZTE should be allowed to participate, according to a report from the Times of India.
- It comes after the Indian government said it would block 59 Chinese apps such as TikTok and WeChat, claiming they are a threat to national security.
- India and China tensions have been on the rise over a border clash that has left 20 Indian soldiers dead.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Looks like somewhat propaganda-ish article but it seems fun times ahead.
HMO meet ended on 5G & its security just minutes back today.After Pompeo says ‘tide is turning against Huawei,’ India reportedly weighs 5G ban on Chinese firm
After Pompeo says 'tide is turning against Huawei,' India reportedly weighs 5G ban on Chinese firm
India said it would block 59 Chinese apps such as TikTok and WeChat, claiming they are a threat to national security. And now it's reportedly assessing whether Huawei and ZTE can participate in its 5G rollout.
- Indian government ministers discussed the country’s 5G rollout plans and whether Chinese telecommunications equipment giants Huawei and ZTE should be allowed to participate, according to a report from the Times of India.
- It comes after the Indian government said it would block 59 Chinese apps such as TikTok and WeChat, claiming they are a threat to national security.
- India and China tensions have been on the rise over a border clash that has left 20 Indian soldiers dead.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Looks like somewhat propaganda-ish article but it seems fun times ahead.
The right person to answer this would be @Bali78 but he's not been online since the last 3 months. The not so right person to answer this is @randomradio
But then @lcafanboy has just posted a series of articles on Jio & RIL's activities in this sphere. See the investment by Google, FB, other US & European investment banks as proof of the fact that Jio would try to make an attempt to replace Huawei in the European & US markets with the aforementioned firms acting as their ambassadors.
Yes, its surprizing to see that all of a sudden every tech giant from google to Qualcomm is investing in One Indian network provider which is hardly 3 year old.
Reliance Jio officially enters 5G space as a technology vendor; aims to export tech to global telcos
www.google.com
Jio Platforms Key Announcements: Google-Jio's Affordable Smartphone, Jio 5G India's 1st 5G Network and More
www.google.com
Jio to take on Nokia, Ericsson on 5G tech - Business Line
www.thehindubusinessline.com
This is a Huge development... Our very own Desi Huawei..
Reliance Jio officially enters 5G space as a technology vendor; aims to export tech to global telcos - ET Telecom
Reliance said Jio had developed its own 5G technology and plans to offer it to other telecom companies, a move that will pit it against the likes of N..
Jio Platforms Key Announcements: Google-Jio's Affordable Smartphone, Jio 5G India's 1st 5G Network and More
Jio Platforms is set to play a major role at RIL AGM 2020, and CMD Mukesh Ambani is set to talk about the way forward for Jio Platforms, and its upcoming investments in various fields of technology.
Jio to take on Nokia, Ericsson on 5G tech
Info-tech News:Jio to take on Nokia, Ericsson on 5G tech
This is a Huge development... Our very own Desi Huawei..
You see both are European. After demise of Motorola no American company is there to compete.Reliance Jio officially enters 5G space as a technology vendor; aims to export tech to global telcos
Jio Platforms Key Announcements: Google-Jio's Affordable Smartphone, Jio 5G India's 1st 5G Network and MoreReliance Jio officially enters 5G space as a technology vendor; aims to export tech to global telcos - ET Telecom
Reliance said Jio had developed its own 5G technology and plans to offer it to other telecom companies, a move that will pit it against the likes of N..
Jio to take on Nokia, Ericsson on 5G tech - Business LineJio Platforms Key Announcements: Google-Jio's Affordable Smartphone, Jio 5G India's 1st 5G Network and More
Jio Platforms is set to play a major role at RIL AGM 2020, and CMD Mukesh Ambani is set to talk about the way forward for Jio Platforms, and its upcoming investments in various fields of technology.
Jio to take on Nokia, Ericsson on 5G tech
Info-tech News:Jio to take on Nokia, Ericsson on 5G tech
This is a Huge development... Our very own Desi Huawei..
I strongly believe Qualcomm deal has something to do with IPR related to 5G tech.
This is something BSNL, Airtel and Vodafone should work on as well. There are companies capable of building 5G networks of their own, like Tata Comm, Mahindra etc, so they don't have to do it alone. This is definitely a better option than chasing after expensive non-Chinese providers. The govt is also dumping 5000 Cr at govt owned labs towards developing next gen tech, more advanced than 5G, by 2021.
Reliance Jio ‘Made in India’ 5G solution announced at RIL AGM 2020: Details inside
Reliance Jio has designed and developed a complete 5G solution from scratch. It will be ready for trials as soon as the 5G spectrum is available and can be ready for field deployment next year.
indianexpress.com
Qualcomm does not make 5G base stations or network, they are in modem business. There are only two possible sources for Jio's' 5G tech: Reliance bought Rancore technologies in 2017 and Radisys in 2018. So, they must have been working on this stuff.
Good article on this topic: Reliance Jio officially enters 5G space as a technology vendor; aims to export tech to global telcos - ET Telecom
Anyone else says it, we can be suspicious. But Reliance...this explains why FB, Google etc. are suddenly keen on investing in Reliance.
Reliance Jio has designed and developed a complete 5G solution from scratch. It will be ready for trials as soon as the 5G spectrum is available and can be ready for field deployment next year.
indianexpress.com
Reliance Jio has designed and developed a complete 5G solution from scratch. It will be ready for trials as soon as the 5G spectrum is available and can be ready for field deployment next year.
Reliance Jio ‘Made in India’ 5G solution announced at RIL AGM 2020: Details inside
Reliance Jio has designed and developed a complete 5G solution from scratch. It will be ready for trials as soon as the 5G spectrum is available and can be ready for field deployment next year.
indianexpress.com
Even though I am not a big fan of ambani & co who are mostly known for commission business , I like the idea of getting into 5G design & manufacture. Hope this spawns a ecosystem of electronic design & manufacturing similar to korea or taiwan.
For example in US , comcast is alleged to be throttling netflix , youtube,skype .... etc services. Same thing will happen in India as well.
Its not technology they are after but subscriber base that reliance brings in. I am not a big fan of letting these cmpnies run riot, we should create our own googles/facebook like china has done. whether it is aramco or google buying a stake in reliance is purely bcos of the market size. Once they enter the market they will virtually kill other cmpnies and startups will have no chance of competing with them.Anyone else says it, we can be suspicious. But Reliance...this explains why FB, Google etc. are suddenly keen on investing in Reliance.
Reliance Jio has designed and developed a complete 5G solution from scratch. It will be ready for trials as soon as the 5G spectrum is available and can be ready for field deployment next year.
Reliance Jio ‘Made in India’ 5G solution announced at RIL AGM 2020: Details inside
Reliance Jio has designed and developed a complete 5G solution from scratch. It will be ready for trials as soon as the 5G spectrum is available and can be ready for field deployment next year.
For example in US , comcast is alleged to be throttling netflix , youtube,skype .... etc services. Same thing will happen in India as well.
The Unbridled Ambition of Reliance Jio
The AGM started with a bang — A massive investment from Google as part of its India Digitization Fund. The search giant was buying into the Jio dream and pundits lauded Mukesh Ambani for delivering another masterstroke.
But one thing stood out. Google got in on the act at a significant discount compared to other partners. They paid ~₹33,700 crores for a 7.7% stake in Jio Platforms whilst Silver Lake, another early investor had to cough up ₹10,200 crores for a 2% stake.
I am not sure if you are doing the math here, but if Silver Lake was buying 7.7% like Google, they would have had to pay ~₹37,800 crores — roughly 12% more than the search giant’s acquisition price — A hefty premium!!!
Now you could suggest that Reliance Jio fleeced Silver Lake. But that would be inaccurate since this disparity alludes to something very different — the nature of their strategic partnership.
It’s quite simple really. Google isn’t just bringing the cash. It’s bringing a whole lot more to the table.
As Google CEO Sundar Pichai noted —
For instance, rural consumers are more likely to use UC Web browser because it employs complex compression techniques and loads web content faster whilst using less data. They use websites like SongsPK to download music for free since streaming doesn’t work well on 2G connections. They still use feature phones because even the most affordable smartphones in this country are too expensive.
So if Mukesh Ambani really wants to create a “2G Mukt Bharat”, he has to reinvent the smartphone, including the operating system that powers it. And Google is quintessential to this cause.
Also, this strategic partnership isn’t just limited to Google. Facebook was offered a similar discount for bringing WhatsApp into the equation and pairing it with JioMart.
For the uninitiated, JioMart is an ambitious project — the likes of which you’ve probably never seen before. With JioMart, Reliance wants to connect thousands of Kirana stores to the Internet. They want them to accept orders online, fulfill them, and cater to a much larger audience. Now obviously you could just build an app and force consumers and store owners to transact on this new platform. But that would be a sub-optimal solution. Instead, if you introduce something more familiar, you could increase adoption and engagement rates almost instantaneously.
Familiarity breeds attraction. People take an instant liking to something they already know. It’s called the mere-exposure effect — a psychological phenomenon where people tend to develop a preference for things merely because they are familiar with them. So if Jio was looking to introduce new products and wade into uncharted territories, it would be better off piggybacking on something more familiar. Something like…
WhatsApp!!!
After all, there aren’t a lot of applications that are more ubiquitous and intuitive than WhatsApp, right? So if people could buy groceries off their local Kirana stores using the app, that would be a game-changer.
As an article in The Drum notes —
Unlike previous network technologies, 5G won’t just connect your smartphone to the internet. It aims to connect everything to the internet — refrigerators, microwave ovens, washing machines, your TV. Everything!!!
It’s meant to deliver more data with higher reliability and offer users a more uniform experience across devices.
Now experts we spoke to confided that this kind of interconnectedness is unlikely to transpire in the short term — at least in India. But they were still hopeful of leveraging 5G to pursue higher mobile internet speeds. So when Mukesh Ambani stated that 5G would be ready for field deployment next year there was considerable fanfare surrounding this announcement.
However, there is still one problem — spectrum allocation.
Think of spectrum allocation as the government’s way of auctioning radio frequencies (5G airwaves for example). Who gets what is incumbent on who’s willing to pay the most. But the government will set a reserve price — a minimum amount below which you simply can’t bid.
If the government thinks the likes of Reliance and Airtel are unlikely to make a lot of money out of 5G, they’ll set this bar pretty low. However, if they think the telcos are likely to make a killing, they’ll ensure the reserve price stays up.
And the telecom entities have been fighting tooth and nail to revise the reserve price downwards. Their contention is rather simple — “We have too much debt. People pay too little money for our services. You have to stop fleecing us.”
And the government — well, they aren’t budging either. Their position is very clear — India’s market opportunity is massive and it’d be a travesty to sell the spectrum for a pittance. So they want to pursue a high reserve price.
But here’s the kicker. Trials can’t begin unless they resolve this stalemate. Meaning, 5G will remain a theoretical proposition until spectrum allocation concludes. Also, even if they do resolve the stalemate, a higher reserve price will push costs across the board. 5G will probably be much more expensive than any 4G data plan you’ve seen so far. And unless you are really bothered about your 4G network, you are unlikely to make the transition. So despite the fanfare, widespread 5G adoption will probably take some time.
But wait there is something else that might cheer you up — Jio TV+
It’s another ambitious project to aggregate multiple content platforms on Jio’s Set Top Box — Netflix, Amazon Prime Video, Disney+Hotstar, EROS Now, YouTube, you name it. All your favourite streaming platforms in one place available with a single login. A masterstroke!!
Of course, success here will depend on pricing, pesky fibre connections, and how people take to Jio TV+. But if Reliance can make the likes of Netflix and Prime Video more accessible, it will do wonders for the content ecosystem in the country.
More paying subscribers translate to better revenues for streaming platforms. A bigger revenue pie means they can reinvest more proceeds. Reinvesting more proceeds will eventually translate to bigger budgets for production houses and maybe it will provide a much-needed boost to an industry that’s currently reeling from the after-effects of COVID-19.
This could potentially be a win-win for all parties involved. But maybe we should wait for the fine print before we get too ahead of ourselves.
Besides this, there were other announcements that also piqued our interest.
After all, it’s hard to overstate Jio’s contribution to India’s growth story. They’ve single-handedly altered the digital landscape in this country and in all likelihood will continue to shape it for many years to come. But as Reliance begins to shape-shift and metamorphosize, they are starting to dwarf competition and subsume entire industries. They are prepping for war with incumbents on both fronts — digital and offline, and they are doing it at a pace that belies all expectations.
It reminds me of another company. What an uncanny resemblance, isn’t it?
The AGM started with a bang — A massive investment from Google as part of its India Digitization Fund. The search giant was buying into the Jio dream and pundits lauded Mukesh Ambani for delivering another masterstroke.
But one thing stood out. Google got in on the act at a significant discount compared to other partners. They paid ~₹33,700 crores for a 7.7% stake in Jio Platforms whilst Silver Lake, another early investor had to cough up ₹10,200 crores for a 2% stake.
I am not sure if you are doing the math here, but if Silver Lake was buying 7.7% like Google, they would have had to pay ~₹37,800 crores — roughly 12% more than the search giant’s acquisition price — A hefty premium!!!
Now you could suggest that Reliance Jio fleeced Silver Lake. But that would be inaccurate since this disparity alludes to something very different — the nature of their strategic partnership.
It’s quite simple really. Google isn’t just bringing the cash. It’s bringing a whole lot more to the table.
As Google CEO Sundar Pichai noted —
And that’s the bottom line — This is an attempt to drive smartphone penetration in the country. It’s an attempt to build a phone that could potentially unlock new opportunities and boost data consumption. You can’t just stick a regular Android smartphone and expect rural consumers to take a liking to it. They have different aspirations. They have different needs.
For instance, rural consumers are more likely to use UC Web browser because it employs complex compression techniques and loads web content faster whilst using less data. They use websites like SongsPK to download music for free since streaming doesn’t work well on 2G connections. They still use feature phones because even the most affordable smartphones in this country are too expensive.
So if Mukesh Ambani really wants to create a “2G Mukt Bharat”, he has to reinvent the smartphone, including the operating system that powers it. And Google is quintessential to this cause.
Also, this strategic partnership isn’t just limited to Google. Facebook was offered a similar discount for bringing WhatsApp into the equation and pairing it with JioMart.
For the uninitiated, JioMart is an ambitious project — the likes of which you’ve probably never seen before. With JioMart, Reliance wants to connect thousands of Kirana stores to the Internet. They want them to accept orders online, fulfill them, and cater to a much larger audience. Now obviously you could just build an app and force consumers and store owners to transact on this new platform. But that would be a sub-optimal solution. Instead, if you introduce something more familiar, you could increase adoption and engagement rates almost instantaneously.
Familiarity breeds attraction. People take an instant liking to something they already know. It’s called the mere-exposure effect — a psychological phenomenon where people tend to develop a preference for things merely because they are familiar with them. So if Jio was looking to introduce new products and wade into uncharted territories, it would be better off piggybacking on something more familiar. Something like…
WhatsApp!!!
After all, there aren’t a lot of applications that are more ubiquitous and intuitive than WhatsApp, right? So if people could buy groceries off their local Kirana stores using the app, that would be a game-changer.
As an article in The Drum notes —
There was also another big promise — Jio 5G.
Unlike previous network technologies, 5G won’t just connect your smartphone to the internet. It aims to connect everything to the internet — refrigerators, microwave ovens, washing machines, your TV. Everything!!!
It’s meant to deliver more data with higher reliability and offer users a more uniform experience across devices.
Now experts we spoke to confided that this kind of interconnectedness is unlikely to transpire in the short term — at least in India. But they were still hopeful of leveraging 5G to pursue higher mobile internet speeds. So when Mukesh Ambani stated that 5G would be ready for field deployment next year there was considerable fanfare surrounding this announcement.
However, there is still one problem — spectrum allocation.
Think of spectrum allocation as the government’s way of auctioning radio frequencies (5G airwaves for example). Who gets what is incumbent on who’s willing to pay the most. But the government will set a reserve price — a minimum amount below which you simply can’t bid.
If the government thinks the likes of Reliance and Airtel are unlikely to make a lot of money out of 5G, they’ll set this bar pretty low. However, if they think the telcos are likely to make a killing, they’ll ensure the reserve price stays up.
And the telecom entities have been fighting tooth and nail to revise the reserve price downwards. Their contention is rather simple — “We have too much debt. People pay too little money for our services. You have to stop fleecing us.”
And the government — well, they aren’t budging either. Their position is very clear — India’s market opportunity is massive and it’d be a travesty to sell the spectrum for a pittance. So they want to pursue a high reserve price.
But here’s the kicker. Trials can’t begin unless they resolve this stalemate. Meaning, 5G will remain a theoretical proposition until spectrum allocation concludes. Also, even if they do resolve the stalemate, a higher reserve price will push costs across the board. 5G will probably be much more expensive than any 4G data plan you’ve seen so far. And unless you are really bothered about your 4G network, you are unlikely to make the transition. So despite the fanfare, widespread 5G adoption will probably take some time.
But wait there is something else that might cheer you up — Jio TV+
It’s another ambitious project to aggregate multiple content platforms on Jio’s Set Top Box — Netflix, Amazon Prime Video, Disney+Hotstar, EROS Now, YouTube, you name it. All your favourite streaming platforms in one place available with a single login. A masterstroke!!
Of course, success here will depend on pricing, pesky fibre connections, and how people take to Jio TV+. But if Reliance can make the likes of Netflix and Prime Video more accessible, it will do wonders for the content ecosystem in the country.
More paying subscribers translate to better revenues for streaming platforms. A bigger revenue pie means they can reinvest more proceeds. Reinvesting more proceeds will eventually translate to bigger budgets for production houses and maybe it will provide a much-needed boost to an industry that’s currently reeling from the after-effects of COVID-19.
This could potentially be a win-win for all parties involved. But maybe we should wait for the fine print before we get too ahead of ourselves.
Besides this, there were other announcements that also piqued our interest.
- There was Jio Glass — A mixed reality headset that you can use to video call, share presentations, and conduct holographic classes. Not sure if this will devolve into another novelty item like Google Glass, but the design looks pretty neat.
- There was also that initiative around virtual classrooms — A platform that will include video lectures, study material, personalized lessons, tests, practice sessions all weaved into one seamless experience. An affront to Byju’s perhaps?
- And some exclusive new details about JioHealthHub — a platform that provides end-to-end healthcare services including online video consultation with doctors, lab tests, etc. Like Practo, you know?
After all, it’s hard to overstate Jio’s contribution to India’s growth story. They’ve single-handedly altered the digital landscape in this country and in all likelihood will continue to shape it for many years to come. But as Reliance begins to shape-shift and metamorphosize, they are starting to dwarf competition and subsume entire industries. They are prepping for war with incumbents on both fronts — digital and offline, and they are doing it at a pace that belies all expectations.
It reminds me of another company. What an uncanny resemblance, isn’t it?