Bharti Airtel deploys 5MHz spectrum in 1800 band in Tamil Nadu to bolster capacity

Bharti Airtel Monday said it has deployed 5MHz spectrum in the 1800MHz along with network software tools across its network in Tamil Nadu to enhance high-speed data capacity in the state.

Airtel’s rationale for deploying the said spectrum is to enable improved network availability and data speeds as well as better coverage inside homes and buildings in cities and urban areas.

“The deployment also allows Airtel to offer wider coverage along highways and rail routes as well as increase footprint in villages as more people access high-speed data services,” the Sunil Mittal-led telco said.

Meanwhile, the deployed network technologies and tools include pre-5G Massive MIMO, 4G Advanced, and Carrier Aggregation to step up high-speed network capacity and coverage.

On the other hand, its rival Reliance Jio recently deployed a larger 15MHz spectrum across Karnataka and 20MHz each in Andhra Pradesh and Telangana in the 850MHz, 1800MHz, and 2300MHz bands.

To recall, Airtel had acquired large blocks of 1800MHz and 900MHz spectrum for Tamil Nadu during the recent spectrum auctions conducted by the Central government.

With the latest spectrum purchase, Airtel said it has the largest spectrum holding of 65MHz in Tamil Nadu and added that with its diverse holdings across 2300MHz (TD LTE), 2100MHz (FD LTE), 1800MHz (FD LTE), and 900MHz (LTE 900), its network is well-positioned for 5G.

“We continue to invest aggressively in the deployment of the latest network technologies to ensure our customers are enjoying a seamless network experience at a time when data is the digital oxygen. The additional blocks of 1800 band spectrum and new technology upgrades will massively enhance our network capacity to serve the growing data requirement of customers,” said Amit Tripathi, CEO – Tamil Nadu, Bharti Airtel.

According to India’s second-largest telco, it has over 2.7 crore customers in Tamil Nadu and its network covers 98.54% population of the state.