Airtel has come up with a plan to launch 5G services in India. Airtel said that it will collaborate with Qualcomm on Tuesday.
Airtel will roll out its 5G services by using Qualcomm's 5G RAN platforms as well as virtualized and open RAN based 5G networks.
It comes after the live demonstration by telco in Hyderabad. Reportedly, Airtel is India's second largest telecom operator of India.
In a press statement released in January, Airtel had said, "Airtel 5G is capable of delivering 10x speeds, 10x latency and 100x concurrency when compared to existing technologies. Specifically, in Hyderabad, users were able to download a full length movie in a matter of seconds on a 5G phone. This demonstration has underlined the company's technology capabilities. The full impact of the 5G experience, however, will be available to our customers, when adequate spectrum is available and government approvals received."
Airtel said it is committed to explore and implement the O-RAN approach in India. It said this approach will help in making small and medium players to become viable players.
Randeep Sekhon, CTO, Bharti Airtel in a statement to The Financial Express said, "Our networks are fully ready for 5G. We are delighted to have Qualcomm Technologies as a key technology provider in our journey to roll-out world-class 5G in India. With Airtel’s integrated service portfolio and Qualcomm Technologies’ 5G leadership, we will be well placed to usher India into the next era of hyper-fast and ultra-low latency digital connectivity."