Most existing 5G phones will support Jio's SA network, say chipset & smartphone makers

Chipset vendors like Qualcomm and smartphone makers such as Xiaomi and Realme said most existing 5G devices in the country will work on a 5G network based on the standalone (SA) mode, which is most likely to be used by Reliance Jio to offer the next gen mobility services.

Rajen Vagadia, president of Qualcomm India & SAARC, told ET there was hardly any difference between SA and non-standalone (NSA) mode 5G smartphones. "It's a software driven difference... we have around 50-60 million 5G smartphones in the market today. If an operator launches SA-based 5G, then the device will remain the same and it will require a software update."

The comment follows CEO Gopal Vittal's views that non-standalone 5G architecture - which Airtel will use to deliver 5G initially - has a more mature device ecosystem than those supporting SA mode.

"There is a possibility that if the chip is a little bit older - from 2020, then the OEM (handset maker) might not issue a software. But a good part of 50-60 million 5G devices can become SA devices," Vagadia said.

The 5G NSA mode straddles existing 4G infrastructure such as mid-band spectrum (1800 MHz, 2100 MHz bands) with the 3300 MHz band, to offer 5G speeds. This mode is globally accepted as the necessary step before transitioning into a 5G standalone (SA) era where all infrastructure transmit only 5G signals.