In Short:
Bharti Airtel leads India’s 5G experience, offering the fastest average download speeds at around 240 Mbps, and the best quality for video streaming and gaming, according to Opensignal’s October 2024 report. However, Jio excels in coverage, connecting users to 5G 66.7% of the time. Both companies have experienced slower average speeds due to increased network congestion. Vodafone Idea and BSNL lag in 5G development.
Bharti Airtel has secured the top position among mobile operators in India regarding 5G Experience metrics. This includes critical aspects such as 5G Video, 5G Live Video, 5G Games Experience, 5G Download Speed, and 5G Upload Speed. As a result, Airtel users benefit from the fastest average 5G download and upload speeds, along with superior streaming quality for on-demand and live videos, as well as enhanced multiplayer gaming experiences, according to Opensignal’s mobile network experience report for October 2024.
Airtel 5G Experience Metrics
The report highlights that Airtel has achieved the 5G Download Speed award, with users on its network reaching average speeds of approximately 240 Mbps — a figure that is 6.6 percent faster than that of Jio. Furthermore, Airtel also leads in the 5G Upload Speed category, posting an average of 23 Mbps, which is roughly 83 percent faster than Jio. However, Jio takes the overall Download Speed Experience award, achieving average speeds of 90 Mbps, almost double those of Airtel. Additionally, Airtel excels in Overall Experience in Video, Live Video, Games, and Upload Speed Experience metrics.
Jio’s Strengths in Coverage and Consistency
Conversely, Reliance Jio has demonstrated strengths in Coverage, Consistency, and Download Speeds. Jio is the sole winner of all three awards in the Coverage category, which encompasses Availability, 5G Availability, and Coverage Experience.
According to the report, “Jio wins the 5G Availability award, with 5G users on its network connecting to 5G 66.7 percent of the time, nearly three times more than those with Airtel.” Additionally, Jio retains the Consistent Quality award with a score of 66.5 percent, surpassing Airtel by 3.2 percentage points. Jio also leads in Availability, with a connection rate of 99.4 percent, slightly ahead of Airtel.
5G Rollout in India
The report states that Jio has implemented a large-scale 5G standalone access (5G SA) network utilizing the 700 MHz band for rural areas and the 3.5 GHz band for urban locations, reserving mmWave (26 GHz) for high-capacity applications. In contrast, Airtel has adopted a non-standalone access (NSA) strategy, deploying 5G on top of its existing 4G infrastructure to facilitate quicker urban rollouts, as noted by Opensignal.
It is important to note that both Airtel’s and Jio’s average 5G download speeds have seen a significant decline. This drop is attributed to network congestion resulting from an accelerated adoption of 5G and increased data consumption per subscriber.
Opensignal further indicates that 16 percent of 5G connections in India utilize low-band (700 MHz) spectrum, which provides extensive coverage albeit at reduced speeds.
“While Airtel and Jio are advancing their 5G strategies, Vodafone Idea (Vi) and BSNL continue to face challenges in the 5G race. Vi is hindered by financial difficulties, which have postponed its full-scale commercial 5G launch. Despite meeting its minimum 5G rollout obligations in four key circles, Vi remains primarily focused on refarming spectrum to enhance its 4G network and facilitate future 5G deployments. Meanwhile, BSNL continues to prioritize the expansion of its 4G services,” the report observes.
Data Collection Period
The Opensignal report assessed the mobile network experience of the four main operators in India — Vi, Airtel, Jio, and BSNL — over a 90-day period, from June 1, 2024, to August 29, 2024.
About Opensignal
Opensignal positions itself as an independent global standard for analyzing consumers’ connectivity experiences. The company asserts, “Our industry reports are the definitive guide to understanding what happens when people use their mobile and broadband connections in their daily lives.”
