Reliance Jio began rolling out its 5G network in October 2022 across major metros. By January 2023, it was live in 101 cities, and by March 2023, expanded to 331 cities across 13 states and union territories, including Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka, Kerala, Punjab and West Bengal
By July 2023, Jio had deployed over 115,000 5G sites with more than 690,000 5G cells, achieving presence in more than 90% of towns and cities nationwide
Jio officially met its rollout obligations ahead of schedule by August 11, 2023, making true 5G available pan-India well before the December deadline
What Is Jio True 5G?
Jio True 5G is based on a standalone 5G (SA) network architecture, built from the ground up on 5G platforms—unlike 5G services that rely on older 4G infrastructure (non-standalone or NSA)
Users need a 5G-compatible smartphone and live within Jio 5G-covered areas. Most prepaid plans with daily data of 2 GB or more and postpaid plans from ₹349 and above include unlimited True 5G access—Jio claims there is no data cap
Transformative Impact: Real-World Benefits of 5G
Jio promised ultra-high speeds up to 1 Gbps, ultra-low latency, and support for advanced technologies such as IoT, AR/VR, cloud gaming, and smart city applications
By the end of Q3 2024, Jio reported 170 million 5G subscribers, with 5G traffic accounting for almost 40% of total wireless data on its network. Indian 5G SA availability reached 52% in late 2024, second only to China globally
User Experience vs. Advertised Promise
Despite technical progress, many users voiced frustrations on Reddit and tech forums:
“I am experiencing slow 4G/LTE speeds on Jio post‑5G rollout… LTE becomes average 10 Mbps” “5G++ shows on my phone yet speeds never hit 100 Mbps indoors”
Other common complaints:
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Speeds vary widely by time and location
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Indoor reception often much worse than outdoors
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Some areas show Jio 5G signal but deliver only 10–30 Mbps
- Upload speeds remain notably slow despite decent download numbers
These inconsistencies highlight that real-world coverage still lags the ideal promise.
What Lessons Emerge from Jio’s 5G Rollout?
Infrastructure at Scale
Jio’s deployment strategy—pan-India tower rollout, mmWave and multi-band spectrum usage—enabled rapid scale in under a year
SA vs. NSA Architecture
Skipping NSA and adopting full SA 5G architecture gave Jio better efficiency and long-term scalability, but user experience depends heavily on localized infrastructure and device capability
Realities of Network Load
High congestion, poor indoor reception, and bandwidth pressure lower speeds. Talk of “5G++” often signals branding confusion rather than consistent performance
Before Complaints: Customer Pain
Frequent user complaints about being restricted to 4G even on a 5G plan show rollout and management gaps—culminating in network outages or partial service drops in mid-2025
Business Edge: Jio’s 5G as Revenue Driver
In January 2025, Reliance reported a 24.4% rise in telecom profits driven by higher tariffs and 5G adoption. Retail unit revenue also increased compared to the previous year, underlining how critical Jio’s 5G rollout success has become to the parent company’s bottom line
What Lies Ahead for Indian 5G
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With Jio and Airtel nearing 5G rollout completion, cell tower growth may slow, impacting tower companies negatively in coming years
- Jio has also entered a deal with SpaceX’s Starlink satellite internet, positioning itself to offer alternate connectivity options if ground-based networks falter\
Conclusion: Between Promise and Reality
By December 2023, Jio True 5G had reached nearly every town across India with investment exceeding ₹2 lakh crore and indigenous 5G infrastructure. Data usage surged, subscribers soared past 170 million, and India hit global milestones in SA-based 5G availability.
Yet, real-world feedback tells a more complex story: indoors speeds inconsistent, rural areas lagging, and user complaints about degraded 4G service post‑5G switch. As Jio and its rivals continue to sharpen deployment and user support, the promise of transformative connectivity is still materializing—slowly but surely.