Sunil Mittal-led Airtel surpasses 50M 5G customers

Mukesh Ambani's Jio rival, Bharti Airtel, said it has surpassed over 50 million 5G customers within one year of launching Airtel 5G Plus. Airtel said the achievement underscores its rapid expansion and commitment to providing advanced telecommunications services across India.

In which areas is Airtel 5G present?

Airtel said that its 5G plus services have been deployed in every district across all 28 states and 8 union territories of the country. From the scenic locales of Balia in Bihar to the historic regions of Cuttack in Odisha, and from the serene Serai of Kerala to the wildlife-rich lands of Bishnoi in Rajasthan, the telecom company claimed that its customers are experiencing high-speed connectivity, including the remote and diverse locations.

Randeep Sekhon, CTO of Bharti Airtel, said. "We reached this milestone earlier than planned," he said, highlighting the company's swift expansion from 1 million to 50 million 5G customers within just 12 months of the launch.

He emphasized Airtel's ongoing commitment to extending 5G coverage nationwide, enabling more customers to experience the benefits of 5G technology.

However, The company noted that districts in Pakistan-occupied Kashmir, Naxal-affected areas of Chhattisgarh, and the islands of Lakshadweep are exceptions, being connected through VSAT.

How is Jio performing in the 5G segment?

Airtel's announcement comes a month after Mukesh Ambani, Chairman of Reliance Industries, stated that Jio has surpassed 50 million 5G customers, covering 96% of the country's towns. Ambani, a billionaire, also expressed Jio's ambition to achieve nationwide coverage by December 2023.

"With this massive reach and capacity, here is our promise: We know that every home, small and medium businesses, factories, schools, and hospitals across India would like to have 5G. From December this year, we will be able to promptly fulfil each and every demand for the Jio 5G broadband connection across the country," Ambani said during the company's 46th Annual General Meeting.

How the Indian government is supporting 5G adoption?

The Indian government, along with various stakeholders, has been actively working to support the adoption of 5G technology in the country. 

Recently, The Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI) released a consultation paper seeking industry feedback on challenges hindering the rapid adoption of 5G technologies for businesses, emphasizing the need for a collaborative ecosystem involving telecom providers, equipment manufacturers, and the government.

The paper also stresses the importance of upgrading existing infrastructure to meet 5G standards, such as fiberisation of networks, and addresses the ongoing tension between telecom operators and large enterprises concerning access to 5G networks. 

Additionally, India is focusing on infrastructure development, research and skill development, and the creation of a national 5G roadmap to accelerate its 5G revolution.

It's worth noting that increased investments in 5G infrastructure, including the deployment of 5G towers and fibre-optic networks, are crucial, and providing incentives and tax breaks can encourage industry players to invest in 5G services. 

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