Airtel has announced a significant development in its 5G network expansion, positioning itself to rival Jio in the race to deliver advanced 5G services across India.
Bharti Airtel has announced a significant development in its 5G network expansion, positioning itself to rival Jio in the race to deliver advanced 5G services across India. The company has begun re-farming its existing mid-band spectrum, specifically the 1800, 2100, and 2300 MHz bands, to accommodate the surging traffic demand as more customers transition to its 5G network. This strategic move aims to enhance browsing speeds and indoor coverage, ensuring a superior 5G experience for its users.
Randeep Sekhon, CTO of Bharti Airtel, stated, “As more customers pivot to our 5G services, we have re-farmed our mid-band spectrum, which was being used for 4G services. With this, we are also ready to launch stand-alone technology. This will mean that the Airtel network will be the first in India to run on both stand-alone and non-standalone modes, allowing us to deliver the best experience in the market.”
Airtel has conducted successful pilots of this stand-alone (SA) and non-standalone (NSA) switch in Rewari, Chennai, and Bhubaneswar. The encouraging results from these pilots demonstrate Airtel’s capability to introduce innovative applications, services, and solutions through open APIs and differentiated connectivity, leveraging service-based architecture on its 5G network.
In the past year, Airtel has showcased the transformative power of 5G with various use cases that have significantly impacted customers’ lives and business operations. The company’s 5G rollout is one of the fastest in the country, now covering all 28 states and 8 union territories.
While Airtel has made substantial strides in its 5G deployment, Jio has also been aggressive in its approach. Jio announced its 5G services at its 2022 Annual General Meeting, with a commitment to connect over 100 million homes and accelerate India’s digital transformation.
Jio’s strategy focuses on deploying stand-alone 5G technology, which operates independently of existing 4G infrastructure. This approach, according to Jio, is necessary to achieve the full potential of 5G’s performance and capabilities. Jio has pledged a total investment of Rs 2 lakh crore to build its pan-India 5G network.
Airtel’s readiness to launch stand-alone 5G services, combined with its rapid mid-band spectrum re-farming, positions it as a formidable competitor to Jio. The ongoing competition between these telecom giants promises to drive innovation and enhance 5G experiences for customers.
