telecom operator Bharti Airtel Reliance overtook Jio for 5G rollout as it expanded the network to an additional 235 cities, increasing its total coverage to 500 cities.
trust jio has so far announced the expansion of its ultra-fast fifth generation (5G) network in 406 cities.
“Bharti Airtel… ultra-fast 5G service is available to customers in 500 cities across the country. Airtel has added 235 cities to its network, making it one of the largest rollouts to date,” the company said in a statement.
“Airtel was the first company to offer 5G services in October 2022 and today’s mega launch is our promise to connect every Airtel customer in the country with ultra-fast Airtel 5G Plus. We’ve already covered 500 cities and are adding 30 to 40 cities at a time in a single day. By September 2023, we aim to expand our 5G presence across urban India,” said Randeep Sekhon, CTO of Bharti Airtel.
According to industry players, India has become the fastest country in the world to roll out 5G networks.
Contrary to the government’s goal of rolling out 5G in 200 cities before March 31, the service is now available in over 900 cities.
Airtel said its 5G Plus runs on technology that has the widest adoption globally with the most developed ecosystem that ensures all 5G smartphones in India work seamlessly on the Airtel network.
“Second, the company promises to deliver the best experience – between 20 and 30 times faster speeds than today (compared to 4G), coupled with a brilliant voice experience and super-fast call connection,” the statement reads.
Airtel has also removed the cap on 5G data usage to match Jio’s offering.
Previous 5G data usage was limited to the same daily allowance customers had in their 4G subscription plan.
“Customers can now experience ultra-fast, reliable and secure 5G Plus services without worrying about data depletion as the company removes data usage caps from all existing plans,” the statement said.
The company has also deployed the first private 5G network at Bosch’s Bengaluru facility and Mahindra & Mahindra’s Chakan manufacturing facility to make it the first 5G-enabled automobile manufacturing unit.
