India’s state-owned operator BSNL has reportedly started 5G trials in the country ahead of its imminent launch of 4G. However, mobile market leader Reliance Jio is looking much further ahead – to business cases that could monetise its (already launched) 5G network.
BSNL is said to be working with India’s Centre for Development of Telecommunications (C-DoT) to test 5G technology. C-DoT is also providing the network core for BSNL's 4G network, a core that can be used for 5G.
BSNL is still pushing to launch 4G services in India, with the technology set to go live next month and hopes that it will boost a market share estimated at a mere 7.4% (86.3 million customers) as of May. According to local news reports, delays in launching 4G rollout have adversely affected BSNL subscriber numbers. The government has reportedly given BSNL a subscriber market share target of 25% to reach by the end of 2025.
Meanwhile India's race to introduce 5G has already been won by Reliance Jio and Bharti Airtel. Both carriers launched their networks in October 2022. Third-placed operator Vodafone Idea (Vi) is still working towards its own launch.
However, Reliance Jio is even further ahead, already loooking on new approaches to monetising 5G. It has been reported by the Indian press that premium smartphone maker OnePlus and Reliance Jio have conducted a successful demonstration of 5G network slicing technology at their 5G innovation lab in India.
Using the recently launched OnePlus Nord 4 Android smartphone with network slicing technology, the R&D teams are said to have demonstrated how different applications can get access to dedicated network slices for enhanced 5G experience.
5G network slicing divides a physical network into several virtual networks, each tailored to specific needs. These virtual networks can have distinct features such as speed, bandwidth, security, and reliability based on user needs. It is one of the business cases considered particularly relevant for 5G and areas like private networks.
Both companies will now work on finalising the details to prepare for commercial deployment in the coming months. How the other two private networks will respond we’ll no doubt find out soon. BSNL meanwhile needs to get 4G up and running.
