Airtel 5G Plus Officially Launched In Eight Cities: Recharge Plans, Speeds, SIM Card Needs

Just last week, Prime Minister Narendra Modi announced the launch of 5G services in India at the India Mobile Congress (IMC) 2022. At the event, Airtel had also announced that it will be rolling out its own 5G services in eight cities. Now, the telco has finally launched its 5G network, which it has christened as “Airtel 5G Plus.” The network will be available in the following eight cities–Delhi, Mumbai, Chennai, Bengaluru, Hyderabad, Siliguri, Nagpur, and Varanasi.

Speaking on the launch, Gopal Vittal, Managing Director and CEO of Bharti Airtel said, “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.”

Airtel 5G Recharge Plan

Airtel 5G Plus will be rolled out gradually as Airtel continues to work on its network. Currently, no new 5G recharge plans exist. However, customers with 5G smart phones can experience high-speed Airtel 5G Plus on their existing data plans. The company will introduce new 5G plans when the roll out is more widespread.

Airtel 5G Speed

Airtel promises that it will offer 20 to 30 times higher speeds than what is currently offered. The telco adds that it will provide a “brilliant voice experience and super-fast call connect.”

Back in March, Airtel managed to achieve 5G speeds of over 1Gbps with a latency of 20ms during 5G trials in Mumbai and Gurugram. Although the numbers sound impressive, the real-life speeds will vary considerably. Airtel claims to achieve 5G speeds as high as 200Mbps to 300Mbps.

Airtel SIM Card Needs

Commenting on the need for 5G SIM cards, Vittal stated, “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.” Hence, users won’t have to change their SIM cards to enjoy the benefits of 5G as the existing Airtel 4G SIM is 5G enabled.

5G Advantages

Airtel states that its 5G Plus allow super fast High Definition video streaming, gaming, media upload, and more. The telco adds that Airtel 5G Plus will boost economic growth as it will revolutionize various sectors such as education, healthcare, manufacturing, agriculture, mobility, and logistics. Vittal says, “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.”

Airtel 5G Launch Timeline

Airtel 5G Plus will be rolled out in major metros by the end of this year. Airtel claims that the network will cover all of urban India in 2023. Finally, the telco promises country-wide coverage by March 2024.