Airtel Enhances 5G Network with Mid-Band Spectrum Re-farming

Bharti Airtel has begun reallocating its mid-band spectrum to better support the growing demand for its 5G services nationwide. This initiative aims to boost browsing speeds and indoor coverage, with the company also testing standalone and non-standalone 5G modes.

Bharti Airtel announced on Monday the commencement of re-farming its existing mid-band spectrum to manage the increasing traffic demand on its 5G network. An exchange filing highlights that with a surge in customers transitioning to 5G, Airtel is reallocating its mid-band spectrum across the 1800, 2100, and 2300 MHz bands nationwide.

This re-farming initiative aims to offer customers enhanced browsing speeds and better indoor coverage. As data demand grows, Airtel is accelerating its spectrum re-farming to ensure an exceptional 5G experience. Airtel CTO Randeep Sekhon stated, 'As more customers pivot to our 5G services, we have re-farmed our mid-band spectrum used for 4G services. This prepares us to launch stand-alone technology, making Airtel the first network in India to operate both stand-alone and non-stand-alone modes.'

Airtel has piloted the transition between standalone and non-standalone modes in select circles including Rewari, Chennai, and Bhubaneswar, reporting promising results. This capability allows Airtel to introduce new applications, services, and solutions with open APIs, differentiated connectivity, and service-based architecture.

Collaborating with smartphone OEMs, Airtel will enhance the 5G experience by pushing NSA and SA combined binaries with carrier aggregation. Over the past year, Airtel's rapid 5G rollout has demonstrated numerous transformative use cases, now covering all 28 states and 8 union territories.

(With inputs from agencies.)