HIGHLIGHTS
- A practical demonstration of Airtel 5G technology was held at an event.
- Airtel and Jio have already completed 5G experiments; Airtel's 5G deployment may coincide with Jio's 5G network launch.
Airtel 5G services will be available soon after the government completes its spectrum auction, according to an executive speaking on the sidelines of a physical event where the telco demonstrated its next-generation network on Thursday. The New Delhi-based telecom operator is preparing to compete with Reliance Jio, the country's largest telco, by laying the groundwork for 5G rollouts. It demonstrated the Airtel 5G network at its Network Experience Centre in Manesar, Gurugram, by displaying an immersive video experience utilising the Department of Telecom's 3,500MHz band test spectrum (DoT).
In an interview with 91Mobiles, Airtel CTO Randeep Sekhon stated that the company's 5G services will be available in the nation within 2–3 months.
"While this is not a race, we feel Airtel is highly prepared to deploy 5G following the spectrum auction," he added, according to the website.
Sekhon also stated that 5G pricing in the nation are likely to be comparable to 4G tariffs.
Airtel showcased the potential of its 5G services by replicating batsman Kapil Dev's 175-run performance at the 1983 Cricket World Cup. The experience was carried out by concurrently showing a 4K video of the match for 50 concurrent viewers across a network capable of delivering 200Mbps of average speed and a latency of less than 20 milliseconds.
The operator also displayed a 5G-powered hologram of the cricketer to show off its next-generation network, which was running on an Ericsson 5G Radio in non-standalone (NSA) and standalone (SA) modes across 3,500MHz band test spectrum.
Airtel demonstrated its 5G network in Hyderabad in January of last year. In June, it also launched its 5G trial network in Gurugram, which would offer speeds of up to 1Gbps during the testing period.
Airtel also collaborated with Qualcomm last year to accelerate the country's 5G network development.
Jio, like Airtel, stated last year that it is testing its 5G network with speeds of up to 1Gbps. Jio has a long number of collaborators, including Google, Intel, and Qualcomm.
However, the government has yet to disclose specific dates for its 5G-focused spectrum auction. It is, however, likely to take place sometime in May, and it is safe to speculate.
