A ‘significant upgrade’ over 5G – that’s how Jio’s new 5.5G network is being hailed by everyone. At least on the internet. But, is it reliable what it claims to be? Technically, yes. Because Jio 5.5G is supposed to be better than the standard 5G network. But, so was 5G supposed to be over 4G. Has it made any real difference to the way we access the internet or data on our phones? Have speeds increased exponentially as they were claimed to be? And, how many people actually have access to 5G?
These are some questions that remain unanswered even as Jio and OnePlus have joined hands to rollout 5.5G service in India. It’s natural to wonder: will this new version change anything for users, or is it just another tech gimmick?
Jio’s 5.5G, also called 5G Advanced, is said to improve on regular 5G by offering faster speeds, lower latency, and better reliability. During its showcase, Jio demonstrated download speeds exceeding 1,000 Mbps using this technology. This may sound impressive but the truth is most of these speeds are only achieved in tests. The actual performance is way below.
And, the use cases aren’t any different from 5G either. “The 5.5G rollout will boost speeds, improve data sharing, and enhance user experiences in gaming, video calls, and content consumption,” Amit Sharma, Senior Analyst, Cyber Media Research (CMR) told Digit, while adding that it should encourage more OEMs to launch compatible devices.
As of now, Jio’s 5.5 will only be available on the newly launched OnePlus 13 and OnePlus 13R. That further limits its availability and possible use cases.
“Technically 5.5G does have an edge in terms of speed and efficiency. However, the question still remains is what are consumers going to do with it? As consumers we still haven’t been able to use 5G to its best, so will be the case with 5.5G. We need to first figure out convincing consumer use cases for which consumers would willingly pay,” Faisal Kawoosa, founder and chief analyst at Techarc, told Digit in a statement.
Also read: Jio 5.5G comes to India with OnePlus 13 series: What is it and how it works
The 5G services in India were launched more than 2 years ago. The truth is these services are still unavailable in most parts of the country. In fact, a major telecom operator like Vodafone-Idea has only recently started rolling out 5G. Those who can access them, find them unreliable.
“Honestly, I haven’t seen much of a difference between 5G and 4G. The speed of 5G isn’t as fast as I expected,” Ishita Jain, an Agra-based student shared, while highlighting that 5G hasn’t made any difference to their usage of phones.
Similarly, Maneesh Jain, a Noida-based engineer noted, “The speed boost of 5G isn’t that noticeable most of the time. I’m not even sure if 5.5G would change much.”
So, while Jio’s 5.5G offers promising technical advancements, the real challenge lies in making these benefits meaningful to users. For now, it seems like a case of technology outpacing its practical applications. Until 5G itself becomes stable and widely usable, it’s hard to say whether 5.5G will truly make a difference.