5G networks: The next big battle in India's telecom space is about to begin

Now that the bidding for spectrum is over, the next big battle lies in standalone versus non-standalone networks

In its analyst call after the financial results a few days ago, Bharti Airtel CEO Gopal Vittal spent a substantial amount of time clearing the air on what he said were “misconceptions” about 700 MHz, for which Bharti did not bid, and on its decision to opt for a non-standalone (NSA) 5G network.

The argument for going for an NSA network was simple: The country lacks a mobile device ecosystem for standalone (SA) 5G networks. And the 700 MHz band, Vittal pointed out, only offers coverage especially indoors but does not offer more speed (it’s similar to 4G). So