Airtel unveils plan to roll out 5G services in 8 cities

NEW DELHI: Bharti Airtel on Thursday said it has launched "Airtel 5G Plus" services in eight cities - Delhi, Mumbai, Chennai, Bengaluru, Hyderabad, Siliguri, Nagpur and Varanasi - and would cover all of urban India in 2023. Customers in Delhi, Mumbai, Chennai, Bengaluru, Hyderabad, Siliguri, Nagpur and Varanasi will start enjoying the cutting-edge Airtel 5G Plus services in a phased manner as the company continues to construct its network and complete the roll out. Customers who have 5G smart phones will enjoy the high-speed Airtel 5G Plus on their existing data plans until the roll out is more widespread, Bharti Airtel said in a statement.

Airtel 5G Plus has three compelling advantages for customers. First, it runs on a technology that has the widest acceptance in the world with the most developed ecosystem. This ensures that all 5G smartphones in India seamlessly work on the Airtel network. Second, the company promises to deliver the best experience - between 20 to 30 times higher speeds than today coupled with brilliant voice experience and super-fast call connect. Finally, Airtel 5G Plus network will also be kinder to the environment with its special power reduction solution.

Commenting on the launch, Gopal Vittal, Managing Director & CEO, Bharti Airtel said, "Airtel has been at the forefront of India's telecom revolution for the last 27 years. Today marks one more step in our journey as we build out the finest network to deliver the best experience for our customers." "For us, our customers are at the core of everything we do. Our solution will therefore work on any 5G handset and the existing SIM that customers have. Our obsession on customer experience is now embellished with a 5G solution that is kinder to the environment. Airtel 5G Plus is all set to redefine the way people communicate, live, work, connect and play for years to come," Vittal said.

Airtel 5G Plus will bolster the entire portfolio of services that Airtel offers. In addition, it will allow superfast access to High Definition video streaming, gaming, multiple chatting, instant uploading of photos and more. With this launch, India will get a fillip to economic growth as Airtel 5G Plus revolutionises education, healthcare, manufacturing, agriculture, mobility and logistics, the company noted in the statement. In the last one year, Airtel has demonstrated the power of 5G with a host of powerful use cases that will change the way we lead our lives and do business. From India's first live 5G network in Hyderabad to India's first 5G powered hologram to India's first recreation of a game-changing world cup match played at a time when there was no TV coverage to India's first 5G connected ambulance to India's first private 5G network with Bosch for boosting manufacturing productivity, Airtel has been at the forefront of 5G innovation, Bharti Airtel said.