Technology: Making a giant leap in digital technology, Bharti Airtel announced the first 5G service on a commercial network in Hyderabad. 5G is expected to deliver 10x speed, 10x latency, and 100x concurrency when compared to existing technologies and massive connectivity between machines. It is running live over 1800 bands on a commercial network in Hyderabad.
Airtel made it clear that this live test was on a limited commercial network and would not be available for general users for now. Gopal Vittal, MD and Chief Executive Officer of Bharti Airtel said that “the full power of 5G spectrum can be felt when the government expands the spectrum”.
“However, Airtel users with 5G handsets in Hyderabad will have to wait for now, as today’s 5G test launch was in a commercial set up”, said Gopal Vittal, adding, “When we do launch 5G to customers, it must have the full power of spectrum. We would need more spectrum in the 3.5 GHz band”.
Elaborating more, Airtel also said that it seamlessly operated 5G and 4G concurrently within the same spectrum block. “This demonstration has emphatically validated the 5G readiness of Airtel’s network across all domains – Radio, Core, and Transport,” Airtel said in a statement.