NEW DELHI: Telecom operator Bharti Airtel announced on Monday the launch of Airtel Xstream AirFiber, its fixed wireless access (FWA) service, on 5G for consumers in Delhi and Mumbai. The FWA service aims to offer internet connectivity to customers in regions where accessing fiber is challenging. The company plans to implement its pan-India services in a phased manner.
India's second-largest telecom operator stated that the demand for home Wi-Fi has surged significantly over the past 3-4 years. With fiber-to-home connections reaching only 34 million households in India, a considerable number of customers face difficulties in accessing fiber services
"Airtel Xstream AirFiber is the country’s first 5G wireless Wi-Fi solution that will offer internet to consumers in fiber dark areas. It will address the last mile connectivity issue in both rural and urban India where access to fiber infrastructure is a challenge," said the company in a press note.
Xstream AirFiber is a plug-and-play device with in-built Wi-Fi 6 technology that will offer wide indoor coverage and can simultaneously connect up to 64 devices. Shashwat Sharma, Director of Consumer Business Bharti Airtel said that India has seen the rapid growth of home broadband but there still remain areas with no access to hi-speed internet at home due to the physical challenges of laying fiber in a country the size of India.
"While fiber to the home will always define the best experience of Wi-Fi at home, AirFiber helps bridge the experience gap for everyone else. Today, we are delighted to launch Xstream AirFiber for consumers in Delhi and Mumbai with a pan-India rollout planned soon," said Sharma.
The consumer can access the Airtel Xstream AirFiber service with the Rs 799 plan that offers up to 100Mbps speed. The plan can be availed for a duration of six months with a one-time refundable security deposit of Rs 2500. To avail the service, customers can walk into select Airtel stores in Delhi and Mumbai and opt for Xstream AirFiber.