Bharti Airtel has announced a huge extension of its 5G network, enabling it to compete with Jio in the battle to provide powerful 5G services across India. The business has began refarming its current mid-band spectrum, notably the 1800, 2100, and 2300 MHz bands, to meet rising traffic demand as more customers migrate to its 5G network. This strategic move seeks to improve browsing speeds and interior coverage, guaranteeing a better 5G experience for users.

Randeep Sekhon, CTO of Bharti Airtel, remarked, "As more consumers transition to our 5G services, we have re-farmed our mid-band spectrum, which was previously used for 4G services. With this, we are also prepared to deploy standalone technologies. This would make the Airtel network the first in India to operate in both stand-alone and non-standalone modes, allowing us to provide the finest experience in the industry."

Airtel has carried out successful trials of this stand-alone (SA) and non-standalone (NSA) transition in Rewari, Chennai, and Bhubaneswar. The positive outcomes of these experiments illustrate Airtel's capacity to provide innovative apps, services, and solutions via open APIs and unique connectivity, utilizing service-based architecture on its 5G network.

Airtel has demonstrated the revolutionary power of 5G over the past year through a variety of use cases that have had a substantial impact on consumers' lives and company operations. The company's 5G deployment is one of the quickest in the country, having now reached all 28 states and eight union territories.

While Airtel has made significant progress in 5G infrastructure, Jio has also been active in its approach. Jio unveiled its 5G services during its 2022 Annual General Meeting, promising to link more than 100 million homes and drive India's digital revolution.

Jio's approach is to build standalone 5G technology that works independently of existing 4G infrastructure. This technique, according to Jio, is required to fully realize 5G's performance and capabilities. Jio has planned a total expenditure of Rs 2 lakh crore to develop its pan-India 5G network.

Airtel's ability to deliver standalone 5G services, paired with its quick mid-band spectrum re-farming, places it as a viable opponent to Jio. The continued competition among these telecom behemoths promises to stimulate innovation and improve 5G experiences for users.