Airtel and Jio face declining 5G speeds in India two years after launch

A report from Opensignal shows that 5G download speeds for Airtel and Jio in India have significantly declined since their launch two years ago. Increased congestion from rapid adoption and high data consumption is a key factor in this drop. Currently, Airtel's average 5G download speed is about 240 Mbps, which is 6.6 percent faster than Jio's. Airtel also leads in upload speeds, outperforming Jio by 83 percent. Most users rely on the faster 3.5GHz band, while only 16 percent use the slower 700MHz band. To manage growing traffic, Airtel is reallocating its spectrum and deploying 5G Standalone technology. Jio is also enhancing its 5G network and improving spectrum strategies. Both companies remain leaders in the Indian 5G market, despite the performance challenges.