Airtel Plans to Refarm 4G Spectrum to Boost 5G Coverage in Rural B & C Circles: Report

Bharti Airtel will embark on the refarming of the 4G spectrum in its select existing bands in India, according to a report. With this move, the telecommunications operator aims to improve the 5G coverage in state and rural regions which come under the classification of B & C circles where demand for high-speed network could rise. Sunil Mittal-led Airtel also reportedly aims to upgrade its existing 4G base stations to emit 5G signals as a potentially more affordable way of expanding its 5G coverage.

Airtel to Refarm 4G Spectrum

According to an ET Telecom report, Airtel has plans to undertake the refarming of the 4G spectrum in the existing 2300Hz, 1800MHz, and 900MHz bands as it aims to accommodate the growing traffic demand for its 5G network.

Notably, the telecom operator uses the non-standalone (NSA) architecture where 5G networks are deployed over the existing 4G coverage. Meanwhile, refarming is a process of repurposing or reallocating existing network bands which are often underutilised or not being used at all to support newer technologies.

Citing sources familiar with the matter, the publication highlighted that this spectrum optimisation strategy might be applicable in the B & C circles which consist of 14 markets in total — Punjab, Uttar Pradesh-East, Uttar Pradesh-West, Haryana, Kerala, Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh, West Bengal, Bihar, Odisha, Assam and North-East, Jammu and Kashmir, and Himachal Pradesh.

Further, the telecom operator is reported to upgrade its existing 4G base stations to emit 5G signals via software. This move is said to be a more affordable way of beefing up the 5G network compared to establishing dedicated 5G base stations for the C-Band 5G spectrum and improving coverage. Upgrading the existing infrastructure is reported to cost Airtel somewhere between $1,000 (roughly Rs. 86,000) to $1,500 (roughly Rs. 1,28,000). Meanwhile, setting up a new 5G base station for the C-Band 5G spectrum is said to cost $20,000 (roughly Rs. 17,11,000).

As per the report, Airtel will use its 2100MHz and 900MHz bands for expansion of 4G services, while its 26 GHz band will be used for 5G-based fixed wireless access (FWA) services. The telecom provider also reportedly aims to upgrade its existing 2G users in the B & C circles.