Rishika Aradhya, Pune
Bharti Airtel has announced Xstream AirFiber, a fixed wireless access (FWA) offering based on 5G technology, as India’s first 5G wireless Wi-Fi solution in Delhi and Mumbai. Xstream AirFiber is designed to tackle internet connectivity issues by providing wireless speeds of up to 100 Mbps.
Powered through the Xstream AirFiber, a standalone, easy-to-use device, Airtel provides more excellent network coverage with lower latency by utilising the Wi-Fi 6 standard, which allows for simultaneous access to high-speed internet on up to 64 devices. Furthermore, all Xstream AirFiber hardware devices are made in India, under the “Make in India” programme.
Airtel argues that the demand for Wi-Fi at home has increased tremendously over the last three to four years, and the firm believes that with the Xstream AirFiber initiative, it can provide Wi-Fi-like speeds even in areas with no physical fiber network infrastructure. Currently available in Delhi and Mumbai, the company intends to expand the service across the country in the coming days.
The Airtel Xstream AirFiber costs Rs 799 per month, and a six-month subscription costs Rs 4,435 (with a 7.5% discount) plus an additional Rs 2,500 as a security deposit for the hardware component. At the moment, it’s unclear whether Airtel offers unlimited data or if there are data limits, similar to internet services.
While Airtel was the first to formally launch a 5G-based fixed wireless access service, Jio unveiled a similar service named Jio AirFiber a few months ago, which also claims to provide Gigabit speed internet access through a 5G network. However, there is no information on pricing or the official launch date of Jio AirFiber as of yet.
Furthermore, both Airtel and Jio presently provide unlimited 5G network access to subscribers on a specific recharge plan. Check out some of the most popular prepaid recharge plans from Airtel and Jio that provide nationwide unlimited 5G access.