Airtel launches first FWA service powered by 5G Plus

Fixed Wireless Access Concept Icon. Global Coverege. 5g Technologies Idea Thin Line Illustration. Mo — Image by bsd studio | Bigstockphoto

Bharti Airtel, one of India’s telecommunications service providers, has announced the launch of Airtel Xstream AirFiber, its fixed wireless access (FWA) offering, on 5G for consumers in Delhi and Mumbai.

Airtel Xstream AirFiber 5G wireless Wi-Fi solution

The need for Wi-Fi at home has grown exponentially in the past 3-4 years. With fiber-to-home connecting only 34 million homes in India, a very large number of customers struggle for fiber access. Airtel Xstream AirFiber is the country’s first 5G wireless FWA Wi-Fi solution that will offer internet to consumers in fiber-dark areas.

It will address the last-mile connectivity issue in rural and urban India, where access to fiber infrastructure is challenging. Xstream AirFiber is a plug-and-play device with built-in Wi-Fi 6 technology that offers wide indoor coverage and can simultaneously connect up to 64 devices.

Physical challenges of laying fiber

Commenting on the initiative, Shashwat Sharma, Director – Consumer Business Bharti Airtel, said, “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.”

Airtel Xstream AirFiber service is available at an affordable 799 plan, which 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 access the service, customers can walk into select Airtel stores in Delhi and Mumbai and opt for Xstream AirFiber. Find out more about the service here.

Airtel plans to launch the service in multiple cities and scale up nationally in a phased manner. All Xstream AirFiber devices will be manufactured in India under the “Make in India” program.