The government has called it the fastest rollout of 5G services in the world.
According to new data shared by India’s Department of Telecommunications (DoT), there are now a total of 308,466 5G base stations in the country. This is a significant jump from early 2023 when the government recorded 53,590 5G base stations.
According to local press reports, Jio has by far the largest 5G footprint. The operator has reportedly deployed 254,000 base stations. Airtel meanwhile has deployed 60,000.
The speed of 5G rollout in India has previously been highlighted by Ookla. The network analytics company says mobile data speeds in the country have jumped by 115% since the launch of 5G.
MNOs Jio and Airtel first began rolling out 5G in October 2022. The operators initially focused on launching in major cities, but have now vastly expanded their coverage area.
Operators are relying on new spectrum bands, including the 700 MHz and 3.6 GHz bands, which they acquired during the country’s 5G auction in August 2022. At the time, this wide-ranging auction raised a total of €17 billion.
