Airtel launches India's first 5G wireless Wi-Fi 'Airtel Xstream AirFiber'

Airtel Xstream AirfFiber to provide WiFi to homes without optical fibre connections

On Monday, Bharti Airtel announced the launch of Airtel Xstream AirFiber, India's first 5G wireless Wi-Fi service designed to provide internet to areas without fibre-based internet connections. This new offering will provide fixed wireless access (FWA) to homes lacking fixed line internet.

According to Airtel's data, only 34 million homes in India have optical fibre connections, highlighting a large number of customers struggling for fibre access. Xstream AirFiber, a plug-and-play device with in-built Wi-Fi 6 technology, aims to address this gap by offering wide indoor coverage and the capacity to simultaneously connect up to 64 devices.

Initially, the service will be available for 5G consumers in Delhi and Mumbai. In light of the growing need for home Wi-Fi over the past 3-4 years, Airtel Xstream AirFiber is expected to address last mile connectivity issues across rural and urban India, especially in 'Fibre dark' pockets.

Shashwat Sharma, director of consumer business at Bharti Airtel, noted that India has seen the rapid growth of home broadband but there still remain areas with no access to high-speed internet at home due to the physical challenges of laying fibre in a country this large. He further added that while direct optical fibre connections will always offer the best Wi-Fi experience at home, Airtel Xstream AirFiber helps bridge the experience gap for everyone else.

The service is available at a reasonable price of Rs 799 per plan, which offers up to 100 Mbps speed. Customers can avail of this plan for a duration of six months with a one-time refundable security deposit of Rs 2,500. To avail of the service, customers can visit select Airtail stores in Delhi and Mumbai and opt for Xstream AirFiber.

Airtel intends to launch the service in multiple cities and scale up nationally in a phased manner. The company further announced that all Xstream AirFiber devices will be manufactured in India.