The operators have already started testing their networks and internet speed in different cities where they have planned to roll out in the first phase.
BHUBANESWAR: High-speed 5G services will be launched in eight cities of Odisha as part of the first phase roll-out of the next-generation telecom network in the country by March next year, Union Minister for Railways, Communication and IT Ashwini Vaishnaw announced here on Sunday.
Vaishnaw was in the city to flag off India’s first freight rake made of aluminium and review the 4G saturation project along with ongoing railway projects in the State.
“The 5G services will be rolled out in 200 cities in the country in the first phase and at least eight cities from Odisha are on the list. Around 80 pc of the State will be covered by the network by end of December 2023,” he told media persons.
Though the Minister did not disclose the name of the cities, sources said, the high-speed mobile network and internet services will be available in Bhubaneswar, Cuttack, Berhampur, Rourkela, Sambalpur and Puri. The fifth-generation cellular technology is expected to bring a revolution at the grassroots level as it will not only be available for cell phone users, but also for many public services like health and education.
Both Reliance Jio and Bharti Airtel will provide the 5G service in the State. The operators have already started testing their networks and internet speed in different cities where they have planned to roll out in the first phase.
The network teams recorded a wide range of 5G download speeds with a median download speed of 600 Mbps at Lewis Road and 700 Mbps at Patia in Bhubaneswar where both Jio and Airtel have built their networks. Sources said the operators are still recalibrating their networks and the speed is expected to be more stable moving forward to reach the highest level of 1 Gbps by the time they enter the commercial stage.
However, not a single city from the State is on the list of 13 cities where 5G networks will be launched by the end of this year. Reliance Jio has already launched its service in Delhi, Kolkata, Varanasi and Mumbai on invitation mode.
On October 1, Prime Minister Narendra Modi launched the service at four places in the country including the SLS Memorial Residential School at Pahadpur, the native village of President Droupadi Murmu in the Mayurbhanj district.
