In a major milestone for Bharti Airtel, the prominent telco has acquired spectrum from a potential competitor Adani group, that it will utilize for further expansion of its 5G network.
Airtel is getting 400 MHz of 26 GHz spectrum from Adani Data Networks. The company will utilize these in the expansion of the latest-generation cellular standard.
In its formal statement, the company said that it reached agreements with Adani Data Networks, which gave it the right to use frequencies across various Indian states. The latter had earned the spectrum in a government-conducted auction back in 2022. It was said to use the resources for private 5G, but the plan never materialized. The company even holds a unified telecom license.
5G is becoming a cut-throat competition between Airtel and Reliance Jio. The new resources will help Airtel make a more solid impact in the expansion and service improvement.
According to reports, Airtel will use 100 MHz of frequency in Gujarat and Mumbai, while 50 MHz will be used each in Andhra Pradesh, Rajasthan, Karnataka, and Tamil Nadu.
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Airtel will use 5G spectrum from Adani in targeted deployment
Airtel will use the spectrum to increase coverage of its 5G in cities with a focus on FWA and enterprise services.
Likewise, Airtel is also refarming mid-band spectrum to address the growing demands for 5G services. It’s refarming mid-band spectrum on its 1.8 GHz, 2.1 GHz, and 2.3 GHz bands.
Airtel closed 2024 with 120 million 5G base and it continues to expand its footprint in the latest cellular technology.