According to Ookla's study, there are a limited number of countries with multiple telcos offering commercial 5G SA services, resulting in "highly asymmetric access" to the technology across subscribers.
Direct-to-cell communications via satellites — being pioneered by Elon Musk’s Starlink — is unlikely to disrupt Reliance Jio and Bharti Airtel’s mobile broadband business anytime soon as the satcoms technology is still at a nascent stage and will also be hugely dependent on telcos to access the latter’s compatible 4G airwaves for connecting with smartphones, say analysts at JM Financial.
