10 August 2023
Bharti Airtel has launched a 5G fixed wireless access (FWA) service called Airtel Xstream AirFiber.
The FWA offering is delivered to customers as a plug-and-play solution with built-in WiFi 6 technology. It will allow users to connect up to 64 devices simultaneously with initial plans offering speeds of up to 100Mbps.
Airtel said that fibre-to-the-premises (FTTP) technology currently only reaches 34 million households in India out of a possible 303 million, leaving millions of people unable to access high speed internet at home or at work. As such, this FWA solution can offer a viable alternative in areas yet to receive the fibre upgrade.
“India has seen the rapid growth of home broadband but there still remain areas with no access to hi-speed internet at home due to the physical challenges of laying fibre in a country the size of India,” said consumer business director Shashwat Sharma. “While fibre to the home will always define the best experience of WiFi at home, AirFiber helps bridge the experience gap for everyone else.”
The service also notably eliminates the need for the installation of costly wired fibre connections, offering additional flexibility and convenience to consumers.
Airtel will roll out the service across the country in phases, with Airtel 5G users in Delhi and Mumbai being the first to gain access. New locations will be added as the company’s 5G network rollout itself progresses.
