The industry group COAI stated that operators are careful of service quality as they roll out 5G, but stressed that the full benefits of seamless urban-rural connectivity of fifth-generation services will be realized once these networks are available across India.

According to SP Kochhar, Director General of the Cellular Operators’ Association of India (COAI), India’s 5G rollout is “the fastest in the world.”

“When the rollout is taking place in a phased manner, that is, in urban areas first, followed by rural, and not in a heterogeneous manner – the overall benefits of 5G will take some time to arrive,” Kochhar told PTI.

5G services that have previously been deployed meet the scientific parameters of an ultra-high-speed network.

“Wherever 5G is being rolled out, telecom operators are taking great care to ensure quality because it is in their best interests, and the competition is so fierce that they don’t want to lose the business.” So they will produce the highest quality, which they are doing,” Kocchar stated.

5G services, which promise even faster speeds than 4G and ultra-low latency connectivity, have been launched in hundreds of Indian cities by telecom companies Bharti Airtel and Reliance Jio. While players are well aware of service quality, some ground realities must be considered, according to Kochhar.

5G services, which promise even faster speeds than 4G and ultra-low latency connectivity, have been launched in hundreds of Indian cities by telecom companies Bharti Airtel and Reliance Jio. While players are well aware of service quality, some ground realities must be considered, according to Kochhar.

Kochhar added: “Whether it is 4G or 5G there are terrains and obstacles, so you cannot have the same quality in all areas. Where there are no obstacles you get a better quality, where there are obstacles, the quality may take some time to pick up.”

While the service quality norms for these new-age offerings are being worked out, the government and regulators have been focused on reducing call drops and improving the consumer experience for telecom services in general.

In February, telecom regulator TRAI convened a conference with carriers to discuss strategies and action plans for enhancing service quality, as well as a review of norms and benchmarks for 5G services.