Bharti Airtel plans to shift to Standalone (SA) 5G for Mounted Wi-fi Entry (FWA) by December 2024. The corporate is presently conducting trials to check if SA can obtain higher uplink efficiency for FWA, because it operates over a static community, stated Gopal Vittal, MD and CEO of Bharti Airtel Restricted, in the course of the second-quarter earnings webinar on September 30, 2024. Vittal highlighted that for cellular companies, the choice to modify from NSA to SA 5G will depend on the load on spectrum bands. As extra spectrum turns into out there, Airtel can allocate extra bandwidth to 5G and ultimately transition to a completely standalone community. This shift, nevertheless, will take three to 4 years.
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Standalone 5G Use Circumstances
Vittal defined that Airtel can allow sure use instances with standalone 5G, even when not throughout your complete community. For instance, the corporate already serves some enterprise shoppers on standalone networks. Mounted wi-fi entry is an efficient use case. We consider standalone networks will enhance uplink efficiency, though this speculation wants testing. SA networks additionally permit for community slicing as cellular visitors grows.
“Mounted wi-fi entry is an efficient use case, the place the speculation is that if we use a standalone community, we may have higher uplink efficiency. That speculation must be confirmed and examined. It’ll additionally present the capability to slice the community for standalone as cellular visitors builds up,” he defined.
Airtel Hybrid 5G Strategy
Referring to the US, the place corporations like T-Cellular function each SA and NSA networks, Vittal stated Airtel might undertake the same hybrid method. “It is simply software program,” he defined. “The radios and baseband items are the identical. You simply want a standalone core and the software program to steer particular use instances or areas onto the standalone community.”
Proceed NSA for Shopper Utilization
Within the quick time period, Airtel will proceed leveraging Non-Standalone (NSA) networks for shopper companies, whereas SA will probably be used for enterprise and FWA companies. If a necessity arises to deploy SA for particular areas or use instances, the corporate will accomplish that. Finally, Airtel expects all NSA networks to transition to SA, although there is no such thing as a instant urgency.
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Gradual Transition to 5G SA
Airtel stated it holds sub-GHz and substantial mid-band spectrum, which gives intensive attain and protection, enabling NSA mode with the three.5 GHz band. As mid-band capability turns into out there, 4G visitors declines and 5G gadget adoption will increase, Airtel will transition its spectrum incrementally to SA 5G.
Airtel added about 5,000 new community websites and over 9,800 route kilometres of fibre within the quarter to reinforce its infrastructure, in accordance with Gopal.
SIM Consolidation
Within the mobility phase, Airtel noticed a 2.9 million buyer discount because of SIM consolidation following tariff changes, although this decline was much less vital than in earlier situations. The development reversed in October, with a web acquire in buyer additions. Airtel additionally added 4.2 million smartphone customers in the course of the quarter, in accordance with the CEO.
Additionally Learn: Airtel Urges Further Tariff Revisions to Maintain Investments
Airtel 5G Customers
Increasing its 5G protection, Airtel closed the quarter with 105 million 5G customers, supported by FWA growth. The corporate is now dwell with Airtel Wi-Fi companies in over 2,000 cities, utilizing a mix of Mounted Wi-fi Entry and FTTH companies.
