When is Airtel 5G Services Launching?

After years of waiting, one of India's three major telecom operators, Bharti Airtel, now has a launch date for the next-generation cellular network technology. Airtel has stated in a  press release that it will launch 5G services in the country before the end of the month.

"We are excited to announce that Airtel will begin rolling out 5G services in August.  Our network agreements have been finalised, and Airtel will collaborate with the greatest technology partners from across the world to bring the full benefits of 5G connection to our customers," stated Airtel press release.

"The selection of multiple partners will enable Airtel to roll out 5G services spanning ultra-high speeds, low latency, and large data handling capabilities, , which will enable a superior user experience and allow the pursuit of new, innovative use cases with enterprise and industry customers,” the release added.

Airtel has network partnerships with Ericsson, Nokia, and Samsung to deliver 5G services in the country. The announcement follows the recent spectrum auditions held by India's DoT (Department of Telecom), in which Bharti Airtel bid for and acquired 19867.8 MHZ spectrum in 900 MHz, 1800 MHz, 2100 MHz, 3300 MHz, and 26 GHz frequency.

Meanwhile, rival carriers Reliance Jio and Vodafone Idea have not officially confirmed their 5G launch plans. According to a recent TelecomTalk story, Jio chairman Akash Ambani has hinted that Jio 5G services will be introduced on August 15, the 75th anniversary of India's independence. Despite the lack of an official rollout date from each telco, all three of India's main telecom operators are likely to compete to be the first to establish a full-scale 5G network in the country.