Telecom Diary: Festive season to spur demand for 5G smartphones, affordable devices likely next year

The upcoming festive season is likely to spur the demand for 5G smartphones making it easier for telecom operators to acquire premium 5G users as soon as the services are launched.

However, the real 5G will be marked with the introduction of mass volume smartphones in the range of Rs 10,000-20,000. Currently, most of the 5G smartphones are at a premium and only few are available in this price range. The prices of smartphones are expected to come down next year as the services get launched in major cities.

Telecom players including Reliance Jio and Bharti Airtel are hustling to launch their 5G services around Diwali in key cities. By 2023, it is expected that 5G will be launched across the country.