Should You Get Jio AirFiber or Airtel AirFiber? Here's What You Should Know

Reliance Industries Limited Chairman Mukesh Ambani on Monday said that Jio AirFiber will be launched on Ganesh Chaturthi on September 19.

Jio AirFiber is a Fixed Wireless Access (FWA) that uses Jio 5G to deliver fiber-like speeds to users. Airtel offers a similar solution with Airtel AirFiber which uses Airtel 5G and was launched earlier this month in Mumbai and Delhi. While there are no details on Jio AirFiber plans as of now, Airtel AirFiber offers only one plan (100 Mbps download speed for Rs 799 per month). Both devices will use their respective 5G SIM cards.

Jio AirFiber should be slightly cheaper, going by Jio's traditional pricing strategy, though there are no details at the moment.

Airtel AirFiber and Jio AirFiber both support WiFi 6. WiFi 6 has several major advantages over WiFi 5, and the most important is range, which is nearly double that of WiFi 5, so expect greater reach in your home without the need for repeaters. Speeds are also much faster (though that is dependent on your plan) and WiFi 6 has a better security standard.

One big advantage that Jio has over Airtel is that Jio's 5G network is Standalone (SA) and is newly built from the ground-up and theoretically should be able to deliver higher speeds, unlike Airtel's Non Standalone (NSA) 5G network that leverages Airtel's existing 4G network too. In reality, this would depend on 5G coverage in your area. This means that Jio should be able to offer plans with higher speeds than Airtel AirFiber.

The Catch

Both Jio AirFiber and Airtel AirFiber will only work if your area has a strong 5G network. If not, you will see 4G speeds and you will be disappointed, till 5G comes to your area. Hence, check existing 5G connectivity in your area using a 5G smartphone (you can ask a friend, if you don't have a 5G smartphone).

This is why Airtel AirFiber is currently available in Mumbai and Delhi, as 5G networks are strongest today in metros and both Airtel and Jio are working hard towards setting up 5G in small towns and rural areas, but complete pan-India 5G coverage is still some distance away.

Here are some reasons you should consider Jio AirFiber or Airtel AirFiber:

• If you live in an area/building without fiber connectivity and desperately want the high speeds that fiber offers. Some areas don't have fiber yet because of right-of-way issues or because some buildings have not permitted deployment of fiber. In such a case, Airtel AirFiber or Jio AirFiber would be a great choice if you want fiber-like speeds.

• If you want portability (though the Jio AirFiber and the Airtel AirFiber devices are much larger than small 4G USB dongles) and won't fit into any apparel pockets. But unlike your fiber connection that is truly "fixed" these devices can be moved easily, especially if the other place you are going to also has good 5G connectivity.

• Both Jio AirFiber and Airtel AirFiber are plug-and-play. You should be able to simply plug the device in, use the app to figure out best location for placement (based on where 5G signal is strongest at the location) and get going. There's no hassle of fiber being pulled into your apartment, dealing with fiber cuts, etc.

• If you and your family have 4G smartphones but want 5G connectivity and don't want to spend on new 5G smartphones for everyone.