Airtel to launch 5G in 8 cities today, Jio to roll out most affordable services

New Delhi: Bharti Airtel will launch 5G services in eight cities including Delhi and Varanasi today, Bharti Enterprises chairman Sunil Mittal said at the India Mobile Congress on Saturday.

The carrier will cover all urban areas by March 2023 and the entire country by March 2024 with its 5G services, he added.

Mukesh Ambani, chairman of Reliance Industries Ltd, parent of the country's largest carrier Reliance Jio, said that Jio would take 5G to the entire country within the next year.

"I want to reiterate Jio’s commitment to deliver 5G to every town, every taluka, and every tehsil of our country by December 2023. Most of Jio’s 5G is developed in India, and hence carries the stamp of Atmanirbhar Bharat," Ambani said.

"India may have started a little late, but I want to assure all of you, we will finish first by rolling out 5G services across the length and breadth of India. And as an industry, we will ensure that we have the highest quality and the most affordable rates than anyone else has in the world," he added.

Aditya Birla Group chairman KM Birla said that Vodafone Idea will soon begin rolling out 5G services but did not give a timeline to when that will happen.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi launched 5G services at the India Mobile Congress on Saturday, where all carriers and technology providers showcased several use cases in automation, education, agriculture, AR, VR, and other technologies.