Reliance Jio 5G services continue to expand in India. The company says its 5G services are now available in Assam’s Bongaigaon, North Lakhimpur, and Sivasagar, Tinsukia. It is also rolling out to Bihar’s Bhagalpur and Katihar, Goa’s Mormugao, (Dadra and Nagar Haveli and Daman and Diu’s Diu, and Gujarat’s Gandhidham. Apart from that, Jio is rolling out 5G in Karnataka’s Raichur, Madhya Pradesh’s Satna, Maharashtra’s Chandrapur and Ichalkaranji, and Manipur’s Thoubal. Jio users in Uttar Pradesh’s Faizabad, Firozabad, and Muzaffarnagar can also enjoy 5G. The connectivity option is also rolling out in Jharkhand’s Bokaro Steel City, Deoghar, and Hazaribag.
Jio says this takes the total count of cities with its 5G services to 277. The company continues to boast its “true 5G” services, built on standalone infrastructure. With this tech, Jio promises better internet speed (up to 1 Gbps) than rivals like Airtel and Vi (Vodafone Idea).
The company also says that by expanding 5G to smaller towns and cities will boost India’s “tourism and commerce.” A spokesperson in a release said, “With the launch of Jio’s True 5G services, consumers of the region will not just get the best telecommunication network but will also get infinite growth opportunities in the areas of e-governance, education, automation, Artificial Intelligence, gaming, healthcare, agriculture, IT, and SMEs.
Currently, Jio 5G services are free to use in India. Users have to ensure that they are using a 5G-compatible smartphone and have the MyJio app installed. Users need to sign up for a “welcome offer” to get Jio 5G access.
Additionally, Jio has clarified that users won’t need a new SIM card to use 5G, and the existing 4G SIM will suffice. Readers must also note that signing up for Jio’s welcome offer may not immediately give access to 5G, and the sign-up process may take time (even weeks). Prepaid users need to ensure they are using a plan with a tariff of Rs 239 or above.
However, Jio prepaid users with cheaper plans can also be eligible for 5G by getting an extra 5G pack. Jio has a Rs 61 5G upgrade plan that offers 6GB of internet data. Users need to bundle the data pack on top of the existing prepaid plan.
Otherwise, users with an Airtel connection can also enjoy 5G in select cities. Similar to Jio, Airtel is letting users test 5G for free. However, Airtel users do not need to sign up for any welcome offer and they can simply enable 5G on the smartphone by heading to Settings.
