Bharti Airtel ("Airtel") announced that it has begun re-farming its existing mid-band spectrum to accommodate the rapidly increasing traffic demand on its 5G network.
According to an exchange filing, with a growing number of customers transitioning to 5G, Airtel is reallocating its mid-band spectrum to expand 5G services across the 1800, 2100, and 2300 MHz bands nationwide.
The re-farming of the mid-band spectrum aims to provide customers with enhanced browsing speeds and improved indoor coverage. As data demand escalates, Airtel is accelerating its spectrum re-farming efforts to deliver an exceptional 5G experience to its users.
Randeep Sekhon, CTO of Bharti Airtel, remarked, "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 network in India to run on both stand-alone and non-standalone modes allowing us to deliver the best experience in the market."
Airtel has successfully piloted the switch between standalone mode (SA) and non-standalone mode (NSA) modes on its 5G network in select circles, including Rewari, Chennai, and Bhubaneswar, with encouraging results.
This capability will enable Airtel to introduce new innovative applications, services, and solutions through open APIs, differentiated connectivity, and service-based architecture.In collaboration with smartphone Original Equipment Manufacturers (OEMs), Airtel will push NSA and SA combined binaries with carrier aggregation functionality, further enhancing the 5G experience.
Over the past year, Airtel has showcased the power of 5G with numerous use cases that have transformed the way customers live and conduct business. Airtel's 5G rollout has been one of the fastest in the country, now covering all 28 states and 8 union territories. (ANI)