Airtel to give 5G benefits to 4G users till full rollout

There is no need for customers to change SIM to get 5G connectivity, but smartphones must support specific bands

Bharti Airtel on Thursday unveiled its 5G Plus service in India.

The company announced that the existing customers with 4G tariff plans will get free upgrade to 5G service until Airtel completes the full rollout.

Airtel also noted that the 5G Plus service will offer connectivity 20 to 30 times the existing network speeds and during voice calls, users will also see significant improvements in audio quality.

“Airtel has been at the forefront of India’s telecom revolution for the last 27 years. Today marks one more step in our journey as we build out the finest network to deliver the best experience for our customers. For us, our customers are at the core of everything we do.

Our solution will therefore work on any 5G handset and the existing SIM that customers have. Our obsession on customer experience is now embellished with a 5G solution that is kinder to the environment.” Airtel 5G Plus is all set to redefine the way people communicate, live, work, connect and play for years to come,” said Gopal Vittal, Managing Director & CEO, Bharti Airtel.

Airtel 5G Plus will be available in eight cities— Delhi, Mumbai, Chennai, Bengaluru, Hyderabad, Siliguri, Nagpur and Varanasi.

There is no need for customers to change SIM to get 5G connectivity. However, the smartphone must support these bands — 900 MHz (n8), 1,800 MHz, 2,100 MHz(n1), 3,300 MHz(n78), and 26 GHz (n258).

Arch rival Reliance earlier this week also launched public beta 5G trials in four cities— Delhi, Mumbai, Kolkata and Varanasi.

It is offering True 5G Welcome offer to customers via invitation basis.