In their bid to expand the 4G network and to provide better services to their subscribers, the telecom operators are operating on my fronts. The telcos are refarming the legacy 3G spectrum being used in many circles for relaying 4G network now. Bharti Airtel has been on this task for quite some time now. Now in a new development, the telecom operator has announced the shut down of its 3G network in the major circle of Kolkata. The Airtel subscribers in the region will no longer have access to the 3G network, and all the internet will be accessed on the 4G network only. This new shift towards 4G can be deemed the end of the 3G era and the migration to a more prominent 4G network. Since Airtel is deploying the 900 MHz spectrum in the region, the network of the telco is going to get a massive boost in terms of 4G connectivity and experience.
Airtel Deploys LTE 900 Technology in Kolkata
The Sunil Bharti Mittal led telecom operator has used the 900 MHz spectrum which was previously being used for 3G network to do this. It is worth noting that the 900 MHz spectrum is considered a premium airwave segment and Airtel will be refarming these airwaves to relay 4G network in Kolkata. The Company is deploying state-of-the-art L900 technology in the 900 MHz band to complement its 4G services in the 2300 Mhz and 1800 Mhz bands. With L900, Airtel smartphone customers will enjoy improved 4G availability inside buildings - homes, offices and malls. It will also result in wider availability of Airtel 4G and a superior network experience across Kolkata.
Randeep Sekhon, CTO – Bharti Airtel said about this new development, “This is in line with our stated strategy of focusing on serving quality customers with best-in-class service experience. Going forward, we plan to re-farm all of our 3G spectrum across India and deploy it for 4G in a phased manner. Also, it complements the smartphone ecosystem, which has now gravitated overwhelmingly towards 4G only devices.”
Airtel has also remarked that it will continue to provide 2G services in the region to facilitate connectivity for feature phone users. The telco also added that before bringing down the 3G network and upgrading to 4G, the subscribers were given proper intimation and were requested to move to 4G SIMs and 4G handsets to continue enjoying uninterrupted services.
Bharti Airtel Also Upgrades Network in Delhi/NCR and North East Regions
Notably, Bharti Airtel has been intensifying its network upgradation work, and since the start of June, the telecom operator has been deploying new network technologies in many states. Bharti Airtel also deployed the LTE 900 technology on the 900 MHz spectrum in the Delhi NCR region, thus offering increased coverage and wider availability in homes, offices and malls. Not only this, but the telco has also installed pre-5G Massive MIMO and Carrier Aggregation to enhance network capacity over the existing spectrum. It is also worth noting that Airtel has similarly boosted its network in the North-East regions of Assam, Guwahati, Shillong, Itanagar, Imphal, Agartala and more using the LTE 900 technology.
