Airtel - India
Airtel (India) uses 2 GSM bands, 5 LTE bands, and 2 5G NR bands. Find out if your unlocked phone or mobile device will work with Airtel (India). See the tables below for details.
Check device compatibilityCarrier website: http://www.airtel.in/
Last updated: 2024/08/03 - See latest updates
Airtel India, commonly known as Airtel, is the second-largest provider of mobile telephony and the third-largest provider of fixed telephony in India. It offers a wide range of services including mobile telephony, fixed telephony, broadband internet, and subscription television services. Airtel operates through several subsidiaries such as Bharti Hexacom and Bharti Telemedia for broadband fixed line services, and Bharti Infratel for telecom passive infrastructure services like telecom equipment and towers.
Key Features of Airtel India's Mobile Network
- Spectrum Holdings: Airtel owns spectrum in various frequency bands including 850 MHz, 900 MHz, 1800 MHz, 2100 MHz, 2300 MHz, 3500 MHz, and 26 GHz bands across India.
- 5G Services: Airtel has demonstrated live 5G networks and has partnered with Qualcomm to develop Open-RAN based 5G networks. It has also collaborated with Intel to accelerate 5G deployment in India. Airtel launched 5G services in eight cities in India on October 1, 2022.
- VoLTE Technology: Airtel introduced Voice over LTE (VoLTE) technology nationwide, allowing subscribers to place VoLTE calls in areas covered by LTE. If LTE is not available, the call falls back to 3G or 2G.
- Network Coverage: Airtel provides extensive network coverage across India, with a strong presence in various telecom circles.
- Customer Base: Airtel serves over 490 million customers across its operations globally, making it one of the top mobile service providers worldwide.
Additional Services
- Broadband and Fixed Line Services: Airtel offers high-speed DSL broadband and IPTV services, catering to both consumers and businesses.
- Enterprise Services: Airtel provides a diverse portfolio of products and services for enterprises, including data connectivity, voice and messaging, conferencing, cloud services, data center services, security solutions, IoT services, and more.
Overall, Airtel India's mobile network is known for its extensive coverage, advanced technology, and diverse range of services, making it a significant player in the Indian telecommunications market.
Frequency Bands
GSM
| Name | Interface | Description |
|---|---|---|
| 900 MHz (E-GSM) | GSM | Airtel India uses the GSM 900 MHz (E-GSM) frequency band. This band is used for both uplink and downlink communications, with the uplink ranging from 880 MHz to 915 MHz and the downlink ranging from 925 MHz to 960 MHz. This frequency band is widely used in most parts of the world, including Africa, Europe, the Middle East, Asia (excluding Japan and South Korea), and Oceania. |
| 1800 MHz (DCS) | GSM | Airtel India uses the GSM 1800 MHz (DCS) frequency band. This band operates within the 1.8 GHz frequency range and was introduced in 1991 as an extension of the GSM standard. It is primarily used in Europe and offers reduced signal interference and greater channel availability compared to the more crowded 900 MHz and 1800 MHz bands used by GSM. The frequency ranges for GSM 1800 are:
This band provides services such as voice communication, text messaging (SMS), and basic data communications, similar to GSM. It is known for its efficient use of the 1.8 GHz band through modulation schemes like Time Division Multiple Access (TDMA) and Frequency Hopping Spread Spectrum (FHSS). |
Supported GSM Protocols
| Name | Generation |
|---|---|
| EDGE | 2.5G |
LTE
| Name | Interface | Description |
|---|---|---|
| B40 (TD 2300 MHz) | LTE | Airtel India uses the frequency band LTE B40 (TD 2300 MHz) for its 4G services. This band was deployed in 2012, when Airtel launched its 4G services in Bangalore using TD LTE technology in the 2300 MHz band. |
| B1 (2100 MHz) | LTE | Airtel India uses the LTE B1 (2100 MHz) frequency band to enhance its 4G network capacity and improve network quality. This deployment was part of Airtel's efforts to upgrade its 4G services in various regions, including Jammu & Kashmir and Haryana, starting from 2019. |
| B3 (1800 MHz +) | LTE | Airtel India uses LTE Band 3 (1800 MHz +) for its 4G services. This frequency band is one of the most widely used globally for LTE deployments, supporting both FDD and TDD configurations. It offers a balance between network coverage and data capacity, making it suitable for dense urban areas. Airtel has deployed this band in several circles across India as part of its expansion plan to enhance its 4G presence. The deployment of LTE on the 1800 MHz band was initiated in 2015, aiming to provide superfast mobile broadband services to customers in various regions. |
| B5 (850 MHz) | LTE | Airtel India uses the LTE B5 (850 MHz) frequency band. It was deployed on August 3, 2024. |
| B8 (900 MHz) | LTE | Airtel India uses the LTE B8 (900 MHz) frequency band. This band was deployed in Delhi NCR on June 10, 2019, to enhance indoor network coverage and boost high-speed data capacity. |
Supported LTE Protocols
| Name | Generation |
|---|---|
| LTE | 4G |
5G NR
| Name | Interface | Description |
|---|---|---|
| N78 (3500 MHz) | 5G NR | Airtel India uses the 5G NR N78 (3500 MHz) frequency band. This band operates in the 3300 to 3800 MHz range and supports channel bandwidths from 10 to 100 MHz. The n78 band is designated for Time Division Duplexing (TDD) and is widely used for 5G deployments due to its relatively common availability and potential for high capacity throughput. Advanced technologies like massive MIMO, beam-forming, and beam-tracking help mitigate the limited range and building penetration issues associated with higher frequencies. Airtel has acquired 19,800 MHz spectrum in the 3500 MHz band through the latest spectrum auction, securing a pan-India footprint for 5G services. |
| N258 (mmWave 26 GHz) | 5G NR | Airtel India has successfully demonstrated the use of frequency band 5G NR N258 (mmWave 26 GHz) for Fixed Wireless Access (FWA) functionality. The demonstration achieved peak speeds of 4.7Gbps, showcasing the applicability of mmWave for high network capacity requirements. This technology is particularly valuable for densely populated urban areas with a large number of mobile devices, homes, and business areas. |
Latest updates
- 2024/08/03 - Frequency UMTS B1 (2100 MHz) removed from Airtel India.
- 2024/08/03 - Frequency UMTS B8 (900 MHz GSM) removed from Airtel India.
- 2024/08/03 - Frequency LTE B1 (2100 MHz) added to Airtel India.
- 2024/08/03 - Frequency LTE B3 (1800 MHz +) added to Airtel India.
- 2024/08/03 - Frequency LTE B5 (850 MHz) added to Airtel India.
- 2024/08/03 - Frequency LTE B8 (900 MHz) added to Airtel India.
- 2024/08/03 - Frequency 5G NR N78 (3500 MHz) added to Airtel India.
- 2024/08/03 - Frequency 5G NR N258 (mmWave 26 GHz) added to Airtel India.
