365Telugu.com Online News, New Delhi, October 12, 2022: Several smartphone companies are gearing up to switch to high-speed networks. As part of that, Samsung and Apple in India will upgrade the software for their 5G-enabled phones in November-December.
Leading telecom operators Bharti Airtel and Reliance Jio have made plans to offer services in select cities. But many users in those select cities still don’t have access to 5G services because patchy networks and smartphone companies are delaying rolling out the necessary software patches.
With 5G promising to not only enable faster internet but also speed economic progress and boost job creation, the government wants companies to get in on the act now. And many companies are starting to fall in line. Apple said in a statement that it will roll out 5G software updates for iPhone users in December. The upgrade will include models including iPhone 14, 13, 12 and iPhone SE.
“5G will be enabled via a software update and will be available to iPhone users in December,” Apple said. Apple said it is working with carrier partners in India to deliver the best 5G experience to iPhone users as soon as tests for network validation, quality, and performance are completed.
Korean handset maker Samsung on Wednesday pledged its commitment to roll out over-the-air updates to all its 5G devices by mid-November, which will enable Indian users to experience seamless high speed services. “We are working closely with our operator partners. We are committed to rolling out OTA updates to all our 5G devices by mid-November 2022, enabling Indian consumers to experience 5G seamlessly,” a Samsung India spokesperson said.
The spokesperson said that Samsung has pioneered the development of 5G technology since 2009 and has played a leading role in standardizing 5G technology globally. “In India, Samsung has a broad portfolio of 5G devices,” the spokesperson added. Behind the scenes, telecom operators have blamed handset makers for delays in releasing key software updates and patches, arguing that frequencies, spectrum auctions, allocation time regimes are becoming clear to smartphone players much earlier.
Handset makers, however, argue that the 5G network is not widely available and that joint trials between telcos and smartphone companies are needed for the user experience. With millions of subscribers in India having 5G-ready phones but unable to access services satisfactorily, senior officials of the Department of Telecom and IT Ministry on Wednesday held a meeting with smartphone companies and telecom operators to address service issues related to providing seamless access to 5G.
5G services will gradually cover the entire country in the next two years. It has promised to complete Jio by December 2023 and Bharti Airtel by March 2024. According to an Ericsson report, in the last two years, the number of smartphone users owning a 5G handset has tripled in India. The study revealed that more than 100 million consumers with 5G-ready smartphones want to upgrade to a 5G subscription in 2023, but more than half of them are ready to upgrade to a higher data tier plan in the next 12 months.