You flaunt one of the 70 million odd handsets in India that are 5G-enabled. You live in one of the select cities where 5G services have been launched. But, still you can’t enjoy the ‘blazing-fast’ data speed promised by the next-gen technology. Why is that the case? Well, it’s because many 5G smartphone models currently lack the software updates needed to enable 5G services on them.
But there are a few lucky users too. The India Cellular and Electronics Association indicates, over 150 5G phone models have already been enabled with a patch across operators. However, that doesn’t include select Samsung handsets and all of Apple’s 5G-enabled iPhones. 5G-enabled smartphones from OnePlus and Google also lack software support for the network. This has effectively left most Indian users with premium devices out of the 5G network.
On Wednesday, the Department of Telecommunications had summoned both telecom companies and mobile device makers. The agenda included enabling 5G services for in-use handsets and giving the early adoption of 5G a push. The meeting followed complaints from telcos that device-makers have not released their updated software patches, which will allow users with 5G-enabled devices to access the recently rolled-out service. Telcos allege customers are unable to access 5G services on their handset, even though the service is available in Delhi, Mumbai, Kolkata, Chennai and Varanasi.
A section of smartphone-makers, on the other hand, believe that telcos are being unfair to them. They say, even though telcos announced the launch of 5G services in the week of Dusshera, only a few 5G towers are currently operational.
According to device-makers, at least one telco in Delhi has only a handful of 5G towers with very limited coverage. Their argument: Without the minimum required number of towers in a circle, availability of 5G services will remain poor even after software upgrades. They say, sending over-the-air upgrades to all 5G handsets will take some time, because software patches need to be tested on various networks first.
However, there is some good news. Ahead of the DoT meeting, Apple said that the software update needed to enable 5G services in iPhones would start rolling out in December. The iPhone 14, iPhone 13 and iPhone 12 series, along with the third-generation iPhone SE, are compatible with 5G.
Hours after Apple’s statement, Samsung also announced that it would roll out software updates needed to enable 5G services in its compatible-devices by mid-November.
Presently, only about 9 per cent of all smartphones in India are 5G-enabled. And their adoption is growing rapidly with shipments of 5G-enabled devices speeding up. According to Cybermedia Research, 27 million 5G-compatible devices were shipped in India in 2021, making up 16 per cent of all smartphone deliveries.
Between just April 2022 and August, 20 million 5G devices were shipped, accounting for 31 per cent of all smartphone deliveries. Within that period, Samsung came out as the top 5G-compatible brand in India with a 26 per cent market share. Xiaomi and OnePlus were second and third, respectively, with a minor difference in the number of units shipped by them.
And there are other reasons why you may have difficulty finding 5G service. Reliance Jio’s 5G service is available in Delhi, Mumbai, Kolkata and Varanasi. But, it is only available to users who have been invited.
Airtel 5G Plus has been launched in eight cities in a phased manner. Its customers in Delhi, Mumbai, Chennai, Bengaluru, Hyderabad, Siliguri, Nagpur and Varanasi will be among the first to experience the new technology.
 "Why you may have to wait longer for the 5G experience")
