The Opensignal report analyzed the mobile network experience of India’s four major operators — Vi, Airtel, Jio, and BSNL — over a 90-day period from June 1, 2024, to August 29, 2024. Here are the key findings.
Unlocking Mobile Network Insights in India: Our Latest Report is Here! 🇮🇳
— Opensignal (@opensignal) October 17, 2024
Our new report analyzes 14 key metrics across the country's major carriers, revealing real-world user experience:https://t.co/lOx9rSNlms#MobileNetwork #IndiaTelecom #5G #Connectivity #IMC2024 pic.twitter.com/OREJxhA2ik
Airtel’s Performance in 5G Experience
Airtel secured the 5G Download Speed award with users experiencing average speeds of around 240 Mbps, which is 6.6% faster than Reliance Jio. The company also won the 5G Upload Speed category, delivering speeds of 23 Mbps—approximately 83% faster than Jio. Additionally, Airtel ranked first in Overall Experience for Video, Live Video, Gaming, and Upload Speed.
Jio’s Strengths in Coverage and Consistency
Reliance Jio led in 5G coverage, consistency, and overall download speeds, securing the top spot in all three coverage-related metrics, including 5G Availability and Coverage Experience. Jio users connected to 5G 66.7% of the time, nearly three times more than Airtel users. The report also noted that Jio maintained a consistent quality score of 66.5%, outperforming Airtel by 3.2 percentage points.
5G Rollout in India
Opensignal highlighted the difference in 5G deployment strategies between the two leading operators. Jio has focused on a large-scale rollout of 5G standalone access (SA) using the 700MHz band for rural areas and 3.5GHz for urban centers. In contrast, Airtel adopted a non-standalone (NSA) approach, leveraging its 4G infrastructure for faster urban deployment.
Both companies have seen a decline in average 5G download speeds due to network congestion caused by rapid 5G adoption and increased data usage. The report also noted that 16% of 5G connections in India are using the 700MHz low-band spectrum, which provides extensive coverage but limits speeds.
Meanwhile, Vodafone Idea (Vi) and BSNL lag behind in the 5G race. Financial struggles have delayed Vi’s 5G rollout, while BSNL remains focused on expanding its 4G network.
