In Short:
Bharti Airtel is reshaping its spectrum for 5G services, with plans to launch standalone technology. This move will make Airtel the first network in India to operate on both standalone and non-standalone modes. The telco has successfully tested 5G in various cities and aims to introduce new applications and solutions. Airtel’s 5G network is now available pan-India, with a focus on mid-band spectrum for SA deployment.
Bharti Airtel Ready to Launch 5G Services on Standalone Architecture
Bharti Airtel is refarming its mid-band spectrum to address the growing traffic demand on its 5G network, and it is now ready to launch the latest-generation services on the standalone (SA) architecture, its Chief Technology Officer (CTO) Randeep Sekhon said on Monday.
“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 standalone technology. This will mean that the Airtel network will be the first network in India to run on both standalone and non-standalone modes allowing us to deliver the best experience in the market,” said Sekhon.
The Sunil Mittal-led telco said it has successfully conducted a 5G SA and non-standalone (NSA) mode switch in Rewari, Chennai, and Bhubaneswar, and termed the results encouraging.
This capability on the 5G network will enable Airtel to introduce new innovative applications, services, and solutions through open application programming interfaces (APIs), differentiated connectivity and service-based architecture, the telco said.
The country’s second-largest telco has expanded its 5G network pan-India using the NSA mode, which utilizes the existing 4G Core network. By contrast, a fifth-generation deployed using the SA architecture utilizes a 5G Core.
Its rival Reliance Jio has deployed 5G based on the SA architecture.
“On SA deployment, we currently have a pilot going on in one state in the country, and we are extending this to another circle as well. There are a lot of trials that are happening to see how this will work out and like I said, I think the mid-band holdings are really a big and very, very priceless part of the overall SA strategy which is 1800-2100 MHz band,” Airtel MD Gopal Vittal had said earlier during a post-earnings analyst call.
Airtel’s 5G network, branded as Airtel 5G Plus, is available across all 28 states and 8 union territories.
