INDIA: In June, Vodafone Idea might introduce 5G services in India.

Vodafone Idea may launch 5G services in June (Photo credit: Vi).

Vodafone Idea (Vi), India's third-largest telecom company, is said to be preparing to launch its 5G network. According to The New Indian Express, the telecom provider is negotiating with banks to secure funding, and the negotiations are said to be nearing completion.

According to a senior Department of Telecommunications (DoT) official, the company will likely secure funding by June and will launch its 5G network in the same month. According to reports, the company has already paid the licencing fee for the third quarter and has made a partial payment for the fourth quarter. 

Another report suggests that Finnish company Nokia is in talks with Vi to supply 5G networking equipment, which is already a supplier for Airtel and Jio.

Currently, both Jio and Airtel offer 5G networks in all major cities across the country. While Jio is offering standalone 5G technology (SA), Airtel has opted for non-standalone 5G technology (NSA). It is currently unclear whether Vodafone Idea will opt for SA or NSA-backed 5G technology.

While SA has a competitive advantage over NSA 5G technology in terms of lower latency and higher download and upload speeds, NSA is easier to implement and can use existing 4G networking hardware, which reduces deployment costs when compared to SA.