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Thursday, September 24, 2015

Airtel Has Launched Both LTE-TD and LTE-FDD Networks in the Country

As Reliance Jio's 4G launch is due on December this year, Airtel is all its boots working to expand its 4G coverage. Unless you missed the point Airtel has rolled out services in certain circles where Airtel does not have 2.3GiHz spectrum like Andra Pradesh, Tamilnadu and Chennai, Himachal Pradesh, Orissa and North East. However in 2014 and 2015 Airtel has acquired tech neutral 1.8GiHz spectrum in these circles. 

So let me point down the possibilities of Airtel's 4G network in these circles. 

1. Airtel deployed LTE-FDD on 1.8GiHz band. (From the beginning of 2015 Airtel's LTE-FDD launch was on radar, first they partnered with Nokia Networks and then there was news that Airtel is running trials in Chennai with NN)

2. Airtel can use Aircel or Reliance Jio's LTE-TDD network in these circles under ICRA. The scope of this point is very little as Aircel's 4G is still on beta testing mode and only available in Chennai; and Jio's 4G network yet to be launched for mass use. 

So definitely Airtel has launched its own FDD-LTE network in these 5 circles (Andra Pradesh, Tamilnadu and Chennai, Himachal Pradesh, Orissa and North East) and may be in other circles where Airtel already has presence with LTE-TD network as a supplementation. 

Please check this table, hopefully you can understand the Airtel's 4G circles in a better way. 


** Airtel now has 2.3GiHz spectrum in 9 circles. In 2010 they won in 4 circles, got another 4 by acquiring Qualcomm's venture in India and recently bought Augere India's single circle of Madhya Pradesh & Chattisgarh. 

** FDD-NB stands for Narrow Band FDD roll out in circles where Airtel has less than 5MHz of spectrum on 1.8GiHz band.

** Airtel becomes the first operator in the country to roll out LTE-TD network (in Kolkata, in April 2012), first operator to roll out LTE-FDD commercially and the first operator to own both types of LTE networks in the country. 

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