airtel vs Jio LTE Speed Comparison

This week I ported to Airtel and I could not resist to make a comparison of two 4G/LTE giants - airtel and Jio.

Day : 22nd July, 2017
Location : Shyamabazar, R.G.Kar Medical College Campus.
I found that in this campus airtel has some issues with LTE signal, probably because of the old buildings.
Weather: It was raining.

airtel 4G speedtest:

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. 

LTE Stories in Africa & Indonesia Suggest Reliance Jio’s Success in Data-Starved India

Reliance Jio is all ready with guns and bullets as the commercial operations will go live by December this year. While everyone concerned believe that Jio will disrupt the market causing existing players to bleed, let’s take a look at how Jio’s data- only model can work in India.

Though Jio has been in the limelight of technology media from the very first, we were actually given information by Jio only as much as they wanted us to know. Still there is no update about Jio’s voice policy – is it VOLTE or VoIP or a fall back to Reliance Communications’ 2G network?

Jio wants to be more than just a data service provider; rather they have pushed their fiber plan to reach millions of Indians’ homes. They have laid some, borrowed from others and have become a part of international submarine cable (Bay of Bengal Gateway).

Without voice or being a ‘dumb pipe’ model is nothing new. Rather, before LTE went mainstream, there were some WIMAX players who relied upon data- only model. Some succeeded, some did not – but everyone moved to LTE eventually.

Let us take a look at how LTE has changed the scenario in Africa and Indonesia.

In Africa, there has been a recent surge in telecom investment, and a lot is coming in the form of LTE deployment. There are several players who earlier rolled out WiMAX, and are now offering LTE.

A List of Africa’s data- only LTE operators:

Pre-Launch Discussion of 4G/LTE in India

In India 4G is to be rolled out in less than 30 days. Here 4G pricing should be affordable and must come with proper customer-friendly FUPs.

Why 4G pricing will be cheaper ? [Read my article on Telecomtalk]

1. 4G spectrum is way cheaper than 3G. 4G players got more spectrum at lesser price.

2. 4G aka LTE can be an alternative of fixed broadband. 3G and 4G both are backed by fiber backbone. 3G spectrum in just 5MHz (compared to 20MHz on 4G per opertor) and no network sharing is allowed - operators are not keen to offer good tariff on 3G as it can draw huge traffic causing choked network.

Kolkata to be Country's first 4G City - Will Success of 2G Replicate in 4G?

Quiz time !!!

Where were first 2G services launched in India ?
Ans: Kolkata, by Modi Telstra (now Vodafone)


Where were first 3G services launched in India ?
Ans: Delhi by MTNL [Mahanagar Telephone Nigam Ltd.]

Now without Kolkata touch 3G is yet to take off. 3G services are costly, and coverage is poor or not authentic be it BSNL or any private players. Also handsets price is also another issue. And in a whole customers did not adopt 3G.

Enter 4G! It is heard that 4G will be commercially available in Kolkata for the first time in India by Airtel. Via @ETTelecom we come to know that Kolkata circle will be managed for TD-LTE by ZTE Corp.

Journey started by 2G is now a grand success, let's see Kolkata Connection can make a success story for 4G services in India or not....

Well to make it success I love to see Muksehs Ambani has to use Monsoon Hungama on 4G too!