Telecom companies or operators are better prepared during the second Covid-19 wave as they acquire different spectrum bands during this time.
This has helped them manage their network locations, according to Ookla’s latest Speedtest report.
The report revealed that average download speeds increased from 8.52 Mbps in the first quarter of 2021, to 10.44 Mbps in the second quarter of 2021, while 4G Service hit 96.0 percent in the second quarter of 2021, from 93.5 at the end of the 2020 quarter.
The report also revealed that Jio showed “significant improvements in network performance over the past year.”
In March 2021 Jio received a spectrum of 800, 1800 and 2300 MHz bands, in all 22 circles for better coverage and capacity to support its 4G LTE service.
This increased its base width by 55 percent and included more Jio blocks.
The download speed between Jio increased from 5.96 Mbps in March 2021 to 13.08 Mbps in June. Its loading speed has also seen significant improvement.
The report notes that while the additional spectrum Jio received in March helped reduce congestion in its 4G-LTE network, the new spectrum supply to 5G applications is critical to the continued growth of the industry and to improving customer experience.
5G can operate at a wider spectrum range than LTE. The Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI) plans to distribute the 275 MHz broad spectrum band in the 3.3-3.6 GHz range (C-Band), which will provide much more power than the existing ones used for LTE services, noted SpeedTest .
India’s 4G Consistency figure has also improved. As of June 2021, 64.5 percent of India’s 4G users can expect to get download speeds exceeding 5 Mbps, the speed required to stream HD video content, up from 52.9 percent in March.
5G trials have begun in the country as Airtel has started rolling out 5G network equipment and Jio is testing its open 5G RAN solutions in many cities.
