Bharti Airtel will soon launch 5G services in India. The carrier will start offering 5G in major cities in the country. Most likely, cities where Airtel has already tested 5G networks for different use cases will have commercial 5G services as well. If you are someone who is excited about the launch of Airtel’s 5G network or 5G network in general, then this network is for you. Airtel acquired spectrum from DoT (Department of Telecommunications) in several bands during the recently concluded 5G spectrum auctions.
Airtel has shared with the media that it has acquired spectrum in the following bands – 900MHz, 1800MHz, 2100MHz, 3300MHz and 26GHz. The carrier bid for a total amount of 19867.8 MHz of airwaves at a cost of Rs 43,084. This spectrum will be with Airtel for 20 years. Airtel will need to pay this amount to DoT in equal annual installments with interest of 7.2%.
Here are the Airtel 5G launch details you should know.
Airtel CEO said 5G will come to India this month
Bharti Airtel CEO Gopal Vital said that Airtel will start launching 5G network services in India in August 2022. We are already in August 2022, and the most likely date for Airtel’s 5G launch is August 15, 2022. Vital did not say on any specific date, But the government wanted private carriers to launch 5G by August 15, 2022, because it is India’s Independence Day.
Airtel collaborates with Samsung, Nokia and Ericsson to deploy 5G
Airtel rolled the ball by awarding 5G contracts to Nokia, Ericsson and Samsung. The telecom company will work with Ericsson to roll out 5G in 12 districts in India. The carrier didn’t mention these circuits, but Ericsson got the biggest pie geographically as the remaining ten circuits will be split between Nokia and Samsung. This is the first time that Airtel has partnered with Samsung to deploy mobile networks. So far, Samsung has only worked with Jio to roll out 4G as Jio did not want to work with Chinese vendors.
Airtel has done many successful 5G trials
Over the past year, Airtel has worked to prove the value and power of its 5G networks. The carrier has proven that its 5G network can support many business use cases. Among the most recent of these experiments, Airtel has conducted a 5G trial with Apollo and Cisco Hospitals to see how a 5G-connected smart ambulance can be a team maker in emergency situations.
The carrier has also conducted 5G trials in rural India with Ericsson using the 3.5GHz spectrum. telco has been able to achieve excellent download speeds with its 5G network. There are many other experiences where Airtel has tested its 5G network capabilities by working with different vendors.
Airtel 5G spectrum chart
Airtel has offered 5G airwaves in recent spectrum auctions. Take a look at the table image below to understand Airtel’s holdings.
