Airtel conducts India’s first 5G trial on 700MHz band in SA mode with Nokia

NEW DELHI: Bharti Airtel Thursday said it has conducted India’s first 5G trial on the 700MHz band in standalone (SA) mode together with Finnish telecoms gear maker Nokia, on the outskirts of Kolkata.

The companies in a joint statement said they achieved high-speed wireless broadband network coverage of 40 kilometres between two 5G sites in real-life conditions.

For the trial, Airtel used Nokia’s equipment from its 5G portfolio, including AirScale radios and SA core.

The demonstration was also the first 5G trial in Eastern India.

“Back in 2012, Airtel launched India’s first 4G service in Kolkata. Today, we are delighted to conduct India’s first 5G demo in the coveted 700 MHz band in the city to showcase the power of this technology standard,” Randeep Singh Sekhon, CTO – Bharti Airtel.