5G At Maha Kumbh: How Networks Handled The World’s Largest Gathering.

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Mumbai, Maharashtra 12th of March 2025 : Jio led 5G performance, with a median download speed of 201.87 Mbps, followed by Airtel at 165.23 Mbps. Meanwhile, 4G networks struggled under heavy user density, with Vi India recording 4G median download speed at just 20.06 Mbps, followed by Jio (18.19 Mbps), Airtel (17.65 Mbps), and BSNL (11.64 Mbps).

5G maintained a significant performance advantage over 4G during Maha Kumbh 2025, despite periods of congestion. While 5G download speeds dropped from 259.67 Mbps in early January to 151.09 Mbps at peak congestion on January 26, it later recovered to 206.82 Mbps by the end of the event. In contrast, 4G speeds remained consistently lower, ranging from 13.38 Mbps to 21.68 Mbps, making 5G at least nine times faster even at its lowest point.
Jio led 5G performance, with a median download speed of 201.87 Mbps, followed by Airtel at 165.23 Mbps. Meanwhile, 4G networks struggled under heavy user density, with Vi India recording 4G median download speed at just 20.06 Mbps, followed by Jio (18.19 Mbps), Airtel (17.65 Mbps), and BSNL (11.64 Mbps).
Jio reported 83.9% 5G availability, nearly twice that of Airtel’s 42.4%, ensuring broader coverage and more consistent connectivity for users. Jio’s aggressive 5G rollout leveraged the 700 MHz low-band spectrum, enabling wider signal coverage across the densely packed mela ground.
5G significantly improved response times, reducing delays in browsing and video playback even under heavy network congestion. Jio and Airtel reported 5G page load times of 1.99 seconds, compared to longer 4G load times, with Jio at 2.40 seconds, Airtel at 2.36 seconds, Vi India at 2.44 seconds, and BSNL at 2.70 seconds. A similar trend was seen in video streaming, where Jio and Airtel reported 5G video start times of 1.79 seconds. While 4G remained functional, its higher latency and slower response times made it less effective for web browsing and video streaming at such a large-scale event.