Airtel 4G Services Launched

Bharti Airtel (“Airtel”), today launched India’s first 4G service in Kolkata. Airtel has launched the service on a state-of-the-art network based on TD-LTE, making India one of the first countries in the world to commercially deploy this cutting-edge technology. With this launch, India joins the most advanced telecom markets in the world and marks the beginning of a new chapter in the country’s telecom success story.

Airtel’s 4G (TD-LTE) network was launched by Mr. Kapil Sibal, Hon’ble Minister of Communications and Information Technology, Government of India. The launch will trigger a new phase of accelerated equitable and inclusive economic growth through proliferation of broadband services as envisioned by the Hon’ble Minister in the draft National Telecom Policy.

Commenting on the launch, Mr. Sunil Bharti Mittal, Chairman and Managing Director, Bharti Airtel said,

“Today’s launch is a major milestone for India and Airtel. Over the past 15 years Airtel has been at the forefront of India’s telecom revolution and has set the technology trends in India by aligning with the global standards. We are delighted to now provide leadership in setting the technology standard for 4G services in India by introducing the cutting edge TD-LTE. We are confident that others will follow in this direction and participate in our pioneering effort of making TD-LTE the defacto 4G standard in India. I would like to thank all our stakeholders in helping us fulfill the Government’s vision of Broadband on Demand, outlined by the Hon’ble Telecom Minister. I would also like to thank the Government of West Bengal for their support and cooperation that has made this launch possible and once again reiterate our commitment to participate in the development of the state.”

“High speed wireless broadband has the potential to transform India, provide a robust platform for building the country’s digital economy and truly empower people. With one of the largest pools of young population in the world, India will see massive growth in consumption of data and content over mobile devices and proliferation of mobile commerce. I look forward to Airtel playing a pivotal role in shaping this exciting future for India.” Mr. Mittal added

Airtel 4G , besides offering rich content, will allow superfast access to High Definition (HD) video streaming, multiple chatting, instant uploading of photos and much more. It will also help in bridging the digital divide and add to economic growth in rural areas by enhancing the reach of e-governance, e-health and e-education services.

The company had plans to launch this service in March but it got delayed because of the minister’s busy schedule during Parliament session, sources said. Airtel has roped in Chinese telecom equipment maker ZTE to plan, design, supply and deploy its BWA network in Kolkata. It has potential to provide download speeds of around 100 Megabits per second when an user is on the move, and can go up to 1 Gigabits per second at a fixed location.

Airtel appointed Nokia Siemens Networks (NSN) for building and operating network in the Maharashtra circle using TD-LTE — one of the 4G technologies. With the launch in Kolkata, Airtel will become the first company to start 4G wireless services in the country. The company had won BWA spectrum in 2010 for four telecom circles — Kolkata, Maharashtra (excluding Mumbai), Punjab and Karnataka and had paid Rs 3,314.36 crore. The company was allocated 20 Mhz of BWA spectrum in 2.3 Ghz frequency band which is considered suitable for transmitting signals for operating 4G services. It is currently working towards rolling out state-of-the-art networks in circles other than Kolkata.

Bharti Airtel is one of the founding members of the Global TD-LTE Initiative (GTI) which was launched at the Mobile World Congress 2011. Other key founding members of this global initiative include China Mobile and Softbank Mobile.

Airtel 4G-LTE Plan Details:

Airtel also announced the tariff plans for 4G-LTE, available for both prepaid and postpaid users.

Plan Name	Monthly Rentals/RCV	Usage	Speed post FUP
Breakfree	Rs. 999	6 GB	128 kbps
Breakfree Max	Rs. 1399	9 GB	128 kbps
BreakfreeUltra	Rs. 1999	18 GB	128 kbps

Introductory Offer ( 60 days )

On the Rs.999 postpaid plan , customer will get a money-back for a value equivalent of one month’s rent, spread over first 6 bill cycles.

Customers will get a bill discount of Rs.167/bill for 6 bills.

On the Rs.1399 and Rs.1999 postpaid plans , customer will get a money-back for a value equivalent of two month’s rent, spread over first 6 bill cycles.