Jio Platforms (JPL) has bolstered its 5G standalone (SA) push with a series of new 5G network slices for the Indian market.

The Mumbai-headquartered firm launched 10 new network slices, with tailored lanes for segments including enterprise, Internet of Things (IoT), gaming, and fixed wireless access.

JPL senior vice president Aayush Bhatnagar commented that each slice would deliver service level agreement (SLA)-driven 5G experiences, adding that “network slicing is no longer just a concept – it’s live, nationwide, and powering real-world applications.”

With Jio subsidiary Reliance Jio Infocomm being India’s largest mobile operator, the investment marks a major step in next-gen 5G development for the country.

Indian operators Bharti Airtel and BSNL are also working on 5G SA deployments in the country, with Ericsson partnering on both Jio and Bharti Airtel’s standalone efforts. The European giant has supported Jio’s plans to become the first 5G SA operator in India since 2022.

Viewed as one of the key architectural features of a 5G SA deployment, network slicing allows operators to set up siloed virtual networks that act as scalable, independent networks, able to support resource-heavy examples, including public safety services and sports broadcasting.

ABI Research forecasts network slicing to become a $19.5 billion market by 2028, with major deployments including T-Mobile’s US-wide 5G SA rollout.

In 2018, ABI originally projected a $66 billion opportunity by 2026, but technical and use-case hurdles have since slowed the market.