Is a 5G SIM required to use 5G services, or will a 4G SIM suffice?

5G will soon be available in India after after many months of waiting and delay. Telcos like Jio and Airtel have already announced their ambitions to bring out 5G services in various parts of the nation by next month and across the country by 2023. However, as 5G approaches its debut, many are faced with the decision of whether to upgrade their current SIM to a 5G SIM in order to be able to avail 5G services or if a 4G SIM will suffice. We make an effort to clarify this and other crucial information about the 5G deployment in this section.

Does using 5G services require a 5G SIM card?

The quick and simple answer to the question of whether or not you require a 5G card to use 5G services is no. One does not require a 5G SIM to access blisteringly fast internet download speed, immediate video buffering and on-the-go cloud services as long as the Indian telecom service providers stick to usage of Non-Standalone(NSA) 5G technology, because the technology leverages the current 4G infrastructure, making your current 4G SIMs further amicable with 5G.

The benefit of employing NSA 5G technology remains that it will let telecom operators to implement 5G more broadly and quickly nationwide. Additionally, it will also enable them to reduce the cost of developing a Standalone(SA) 5G infrastructure. For those who don't know, SA structure is not 4G amicable and necessitates a brand-new SIM card because it is based on a completely different and distinct architecture.

Although, the NSA technology is superior to SA in that one area, whereas it lacks one of the key features of 5G, low latency network. With SA, data processing across a network connection is slightly delayed. Unless there are specific use cases, like high-resolution cloud gaming, that demand quick reaction, this shouldn't be a huge concern for most people.

Having stated that, in order to utilise 5G services you must meet the following criteria:

A 5G-enabled gadget

A 5G capable gadget is one with integrated New Radio (NR) hardware and specific modems for using 5G internet technologies. With the help of this distinct hardware, a smartphone can join a 5G network and gain access to superior connectivity choices that are inaccessible to 4G devices.

Network

Deploying 5G services is not possible without a 5G network. A 5G network requires adequate hardware and software architecture as well as rules set forth by the government or other relevant high-level authorities concerned. Telecom operators also require the right to use 5G spectrums before rolling out 5G service across the country. Various telcos including Jio, Airtel, Vodafone Idea along with Adani Data Networks placed bids in the recent spectrum auctions held by the government. After acquiring spectrum through bids, government has now allotted spectrum to the telcos and given a nod for 5G roll-outs to begin nationwide.

A 5G recharge package

The recharge plans for 5G may be similar to those for 3G and 4G. Due to the fact that 5G is still a relatively distinct technology and has the capacity to deliver extremely fast speeds, its pricing options may initially be more expensive. Once it appeals to a larger customer section, the costs might decline with time as the 5G networks gain ore popularity.