Telecom giant Bharti Airtel has announced the rolled out of 5G services on 26 GHz spectrum across all 22 telecom circles in the country. This rollout was done following the norms set by the Department of Telecommunications (DoT) for complying with the Minimum Roll-out obligation criteria.

As per DoT’s requirements, the company has fulfilled the application criteria and requisition for complying with minimum rollout obligation norms. After Airtel’s rollout completion, DoT has also carried out testing in Mumbai licensed service area (LSA).
With broader 5G opportunities enabled by 26 GHz, the company is expected to drive innovation to offer improved Airtel 5G Plus experiences for its customers. The performance on the ground has also demonstrated remarkable potential and the growing momentum of 5G adoption.

Jio conducted similar tests in Delhi
Reliance Jio has also successfully tested 5G on 26GHz, 3300Mhz spectrum in Delhi. DoT has confirmed Jio’s test of tested 5G services and data speeds on both the 26GHz, or millimetre (mmWave) and 3300Mhz spectrum bands.
Similar tests were also conducted in Gujarat and Kolkata. Moreover, Odisha LSA has also conducted Phase-I roll-out testing of 5G sites in the state. It is important to note Jio completed the minimum rollout obligations for 5G deployment in the first year after acquiring the spectrum in 2022 auctions. The company has also submitted the required applications to the DoT.
Jio and Airtel have been expanding their 5G services for nearly a year now. Also, Jio is the only service provider to have spectrum in the premium 700MHz band. This band is considered more suitable for 5G network deployment.